Are you pleased with the number of guests you had during Lent last year? And how involved they are now?
If so, don’t waste your time here. If not, here are some thoughts and ideas:
1) Key thought: new people are guests – not visitors. You do not ‘greet’ them, you ‘host’ them.
2) Always try to get contact information from any guests – and follow up!
3) How many people know where the ashes for Ash Wednesday come from? Make it a community event. Stress the spirituality – ‘We failed to follow Jesus and so burn the palms with which we proclaimed our allegiance.’
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Episcopal congregations in Indiana continue to find new ways to thrive through the Church Buildings for Collaborative Partnerships (CBCP) initiative, as we first shared with Vital Practices in 2022.
CBCP provides a model that any church can follow to increase vitality and serve mission by making the most of their buildings as assets and by developing new and stronger community partnerships. Here are two examples:
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In The Art of Organizing, written during the early stages of the emerging COVID pandemic, I focused on the relational aspects of organizing, often rooted in one-on-one conversations, and shared an example of an ecumenical, community-based campaign focused on housing justice.
Five years later, we find ourselves in a different set of crises, one of rising authoritarianism at the highest levels of political office and targeted attacks on many of the most vulnerable members of our community. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. mentioned generations ago—the “triple-prong sickness that has been lurking within our body politic from its very beginning…the sickness of racism, excessive materialism and militarism”—remain at an all-time high, and have metastasized to include many intersections of exploitation, injustice, and suffering to both people and planet. He called for a reordering of society, a revolution of values in fact, away from the “thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society.”
We’ve all heard the narrative: Church attendance and congregational practices have changed and the buildings and spaces of the mid-20th century aren’t as functional as they once were. At the same time, many cities and towns are experiencing an affordable housing crisis and with each passing season, more individuals and families are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
In light of this confluence of circumstances and needs, congregations are reassessing their response to the Gospel in the 21st Century. They are rethinking mission in their communities, considering anew how God might be calling them to share the resources they have, and realizing resources they had not considered before. Notably land and buildings. Through it all, over it all, the Spirit whispers a call to welcome the stranger, share what we have, rekindle the ancient flame of holy hospitality.
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I can’t remember when I first learned of Ruby Bridges’ story. Maybe in U.S. history class in high school, circa 1981? Maybe when I was studying Constitutional law in college in 1986? Or maybe not until I was working at a preschool in 2014. Whenever it was, the story seemed like a long time ago (even in 1981!). I never imagined that Ruby Bridges was/is still alive. And I never dreamed that I would hear the story of 6-year-old Ruby from the mouth of 71-year-old Ruby. Vibrant, sassy, funny, faithful 71-year-old Ruby.
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In Fall 2024, small and rural Episcopal congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas were offered the opportunity to participate in Pivot, a hybrid program offered by ECF to have us reflect on our faith community identities, learn about our neighborhood composition, and develop a mission that meets the needs of our respective contexts. This gave St. Andrew’s Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas, the chance to learn something new about how to develop a more outward-facing posture. Through an online curriculum, in-person gatherings, and Zoom sessions, we were encouraged to draft new Gospel-rooted, neighbor-focused mission and vision statements. This was all very exciting to us, and as a parish going on four years without a paid priest, we had come to realize that we laity are, in fact, the church.
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The Chapel at the Seminary of the Southwest has a wall of glass. It looks out over a lawn, some beautiful native live oak trees, and a large, three-dimensional, weathered metal cross. It stands over 8 feet tall. The cross is placed outside the chapel. Whether pausing between classes or worshipping in a community Eucharist, you can’t miss it. It beckons. The life and work of the faithful is calling from beyond the chapel walls.
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The journey to finding a spiritual home is a deeply personal one. For many, The Episcopal Church has become that place of refuge, growth, and community. Understanding how people discover our church can help us extend a more effective and heartfelt welcome. That’s why one of our Episcopal Pulse members suggested that the research team publish a survey on the diverse paths that lead individuals to our congregations.
From being raised in the faith to the influence of personal invites, and the active search for progressive and inclusive communities – the insights are telling. As we reflect on these findings, we recognize a few steps we can take to make our churches more discoverable and welcoming to all seekers.
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These days it seems like the leadership of every congregation thinks the answer to their dwindling or stagnant membership and attendance numbers is to attract young families: specifically, growing their congregations by bringing in families with young children. But is that really the answer? And if it is, how do we go about attracting them? Here are a few thoughts, based on research and experience.
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What is ABCD? Asset Based Community Development is a way of looking at the people and organizations in your particular community by acknowledging and highlighting their gifts, strengths, and relationships.
When you see the community around you through an asset-based lens, you see the God-given opportunities for connection, mission, and relationship that can be overlooked by focusing on the deficits.
A critical step in ABCD is building an asset map of your surrounding community. Taking a deep look at the different kinds of people, organizations, and physical spaces in your neighborhood will help you identify potential mission fields or ministry partners.
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When you think of Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, or Nike, what images, emotions, and even tastes come to mind? Perhaps it's the unmistakable shape of a Coke bottle, the silhouette of the golden arches, or the iconic "Just Do It" slogan from Nike. These companies have mastered the art of branding, transforming their logos and names into memorable symbols of their products and values. But branding isn't just for corporations. It's equally important for institutions with deeper, more personal missions—like churches. Faith communities are vying for attention and relevance in the lives of their congregants and their broader communities, and understanding and honing your church's brand is key. Just as a strong brand can evoke trust and loyalty among consumers, a well-defined and communicated church brand can foster a deeper connection with current members, attract new ones, and extend your reach and impact within your community.
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On All Things Considered, a program of National Public Radio, the story was told of two couples in Brooklyn, New York, maintaining a practice begun in the days of COVID isolation. Every day they lean out a window or stand at their doorstep and ring bells, shake a tambourine and bang wooden spoons together in support of health care workers. Because, they maintain, health care providers still need our support.
Now the odds are there aren’t many healthcare workers who know about this ongoing sign of support for them, at least until NPR ran the story. But the support was there nonetheless. And one neighbor observed, “it’s kinda cool” that his neighbors are remembering those who can so easily be forgotten, and he likes being reminded of the importance of health care workers each night.
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"Drawing from the Pulse campaign's insights, we're reminded to be bold in conveying our identity and rooted in our baptismal covenant and the Way of Love."
--Canon Mike Orr, The Episcopal Church in Colorado and Caffeinated Church
If you’re Episcopalian and on any kind of social media, you probably saw the responses to the “He Gets Us” Foot Washing and Who is My Neighbor ads shown during the Super Bowl. Some people praised the ads for putting Christianity on such a wide-reaching platform. Others panned the advertisements as an improper use of money or a ‘bait and switch’ where the content of the ads didn’t necessarily match the beliefs of those who paid for it. One thing is for sure though... the ads got noticed.
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You’ve probably heard the familiar grumble in your church or ministry setting “Where have all the young people gone?” Many of us are concerned about the declining interest in Christianity among young adults. In 2022, TryTank Experimental Laboratory and The FaithX Project partnered to test the Episcopal Pulse Pilot, a regular micro-survey. During that pilot, they learned that 8 in 10 Episcopalians surveyed said their congregation had anywhere between 1 and 20% of young adults (age 18-25) in their congregation, while 14% of Episcopalians surveyed said they had none at all.
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I’m intentionally borrowing one of Peter Steinke’s titles, even though this is just a blog post and not Steinke’s really solid book. Actually, I’m only thinking about the cover image on his book, A Door Set Open. There’s this absolutely captivating picture, taken from inside a church, down near the floor level, looking out through the ‘west’ doors. The doors in this case are set wide open, and we can see outside from the perspective of the floor and the pews the blurred images of trees and a landscape.
This may be the most rudimentary blog post on hospitality ever written, as it’s so simple. Here’s the point: Open the doors of your church. Open them wide. Leave them open whenever you’re inside. Leave them open the entire time. And figure out the dynamics of heating and cooling and securing the space otherwise.
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A few years into my priesthood, I began to realize how little I knew about the professional lives of my parishioners. Parishioners with flexible professional schedules often came to meet with me at the church building, but I hardly ever went to their offices or workplaces. I had a little more visibility on the work lives of parishioners who donated their professional services to the church, but even that didn’t feel complete or authentic.
So, I started asking people to invite me to visit them on the job, and “Take Your Priest to Work Day” was born. So far, I have visited a farm, a soap factory, a flight simulator, a grain elevator, a cotton gin, an Army Corps of Engineers construction project, and several other places. I have even petted a possum at our local nature center.
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As church leaders we are continuously thinking about communication, whether it’s the clergy pondering their sermon’s effectiveness, the wardens wondering how best to share financial news with the congregation, or the ad-hoc communication team wrestling with the complexities of a hybrid service. We have all said with some variation that The Episcopal Church is a well-kept secret. Many in our wider communities are unclear who and where we are, many life-changing programs offered from the Church Center (815 Second Ave, New York City) and other Episcopal organizations go unheard, and some dioceses are constantly struggling with proving relevance with congregations unaware of the myriad of benefits that the staff provides.
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Gleaning: It’s not just for ancient Israelites anymore!
The ancient Levitical practice of leaving excess grain for those who are experiencing hunger has found a new manifestation in modern-day Memphis.
Church of the Holy Communion’s newest outreach ministry began with a phone call from a nearby synagogue. They had started collecting unsold food from local farmers’ markets and turning it into meals for hungry neighbors. But, they faced a challenge: Too much food!
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As I write this blog I am in Abilene, Texas with my wife, Margaret, visiting our son David and his family – part of a month-long road trip during my six-week sabbatical. (David is Rector of the Church of the Heavenly Rest in the Diocese of Northwest Texas.) Our first stop from Connecticut was western Maryland, where Margaret’s brother hosted the annual family reunion followed by a visit with old friends from Hartford in Oklahoma. While there will be stops along the way, the next few weeks will include additional visits with family and friends in South Carolina and Virginia. All these summer gatherings continue to be wonderful opportunities for relaxation, refreshment, and reconnection.
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This month we offer five resources on Welcoming Families in Worship. Please share this digest with new members of your vestry and extend an invitation to subscribe to ECF Vital Practices to receive Vestry Papers, blogs, and the monthly digest.
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