Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Vitality, Viability, and Mutuality - these three words are the pillars of The Rt. Rev.Tom Shaw's diocesan mission strategy for congregations.

Go to the Diocese of Massachusett's website, under Resources for Congregations and Clergy, click on document library, and then scroll down the list to the last document to find recommendations related to congregational vitality, viability, and mutuality.

Listen to The Rev. Mally Lloyd's (Canon to the Ordinary) excellent videotaped talk (see previous link posted to Congregational Seasons on June 6) that she gave recently for The Episcopal Church Building Fund.

Both of these resources will give you a close up view of the work that has been going on for over a decade in the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Bishop Shaw's strategy is more than words on a page! Behind the words are the resources of a team of dedicated lay and clergy diocesan team members who help congregations become vital and viable. Many dioceses are talking about mission and vitality, but the Diocese of Massachusetts also talks about viability. Their strategic focus has paid off as they are now beginning to see growth.

A few dioceses have taken on some of the tools of the Diocese of Massachusetts. For example, the Diocese of Eastern Michigan's website features the Diocese of Massachusetts' vitality, viability and mutuality document. A number of other dioceses list on their website the Diocese of Massachusetts' list of vital congregational characteristics. Very few if any dioceses have built the infrastructure necessary to help congregations effectively use the resources to transform their churches for renewed mission in both vital and viable ways.

The Diocese of Massachusetts' challenges are the challenges of every diocese. It is a myth that the number of church closings is higher on the East coast. The statistics demonstrate that this is simply not true. As a result, every diocese needs to familiarize themselves with the vision, resources and success of the Diocese of Massachusetts.