Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

I used to think I belonged to a small Episcopal Church. Both the parish where I grew up, in Lake Geneva, WI, as well as my congregation in New York City probably have about 60 people in worship on Sundays. I’ve known the rectors and their families well. It’s easy to identify the key lay leaders and know almost everyone by name, whether they serve on vestry, choir, Sunday school or outreach ministries. It’s a size I like, manageable in its relationships yet dynamic enough when engaged in the wider community. 

But compared to the swelling Catholic and Nondenominational congregations of my hometown, or the tall steeple churches of NYC, they seem small. 

In fact, they’re average. Statistical reports show that the median congregation in The Episcopal Church had an Average Sunday Attendance (ASA) of 65 persons in 2010. 

Beyond statistics, new experiences are reminding me that “small” is relative. A few weeks ago I attended the annual meeting of a little rural parish in Western Massachusetts. 17 people sat around two folding tables for a potluck lunch, listening to reports and engaging in a conversation about hospitality. A few things about this little church caught my attention:

continue reading...

In the four days that I have been in Nakiwogo, Uganda, I have already visited in the homes of 14 members of St. Stephen’s Church. At every home, I am offered wonderful hospitality with snacks and water or soft drinks provided. Last evening, I feasted on a meal that included chicken and “Irish” potato steamed in banana leaves, cassava, sweet potato, corn meal patties, boiled banana and fried banana, ground nut sauce, and cabbage. When I prepare to leave, many times I am presented with a parting gift. At different homes I received fresh pineapple, bananas, woven baskets, milk from the homeowners cow, and a live chicken for my hosts to prepare. Even in the poorest homes (poverty like I have never experienced) I am offered at least bottled water.

I am so impressed with the hospitality and the greeting I have received at every turn. I especially appreciate the excitement of the children when we meet. They are very eager to meet the “muzungu (white person).”

Continue reading...

Does your congregation’s parochial report represent what is really happening in your parish? How might you change your ‘scorecard’ to represent the many ways your congregation is serving God’s mission?

These questions were raised at the recent Congregational Leadership Conference at Kanuga. Plenary speaker Reggie McNeal, author of The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church, Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church, and Missional Communities: The Rise of the Post-Congregational Church, shared the startling statistic that Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the world – everywhere that is except the West and suggested that we might learn from those parts of the world where Christianity is growing "so fast that there is no time for evangelism."

Continue reading...

After reading the book, Community—The Structure of Belonging by Peter Block, I’ve been consumed with learning more about ways to live in and build better community (for myself and others). Shortly after having been transformed by the words I read, I also became interested in Asset-Based Community Development. Though Peter Block didn’t coin this term, his book certainly echoes the sentiments that ABCD encapsulates. What is Asset-Based Community Development and why is it important for the Church?

First, before I try to explain, please know that I am only reflecting on how I’ve been impacted by what I’ve recently learned. I am in no way an expert in ABCD, so I highly recommend that you familiarize yourself by reading about Asset-Based Community Development independently. I would start with books from John McKnight and/or Peter Block.

Continue reading...

After weeks of praying and planning our vestry and bishop on Tuesday night founded GEORGE: The “Church in the Round” Community Center. With a unanimous vote a new model for ministry was born. Here is a brief description of what has come into being.

GEORGE: The “Church in the Round” Community Center re-opens the recently closed St. George’s Episcopal Church in the Lake City neighborhood of Seattle. Under the stewardship of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, five new ministries will be created: a Coffee House, a Young Adult Worshipping Community, Pro-use Produce (a dried fruit nutrition project), an after-school computer lab, and a street outreach ministry to people who are homeless called Episcopal Street Walkers. These five ministries will be housed at the new community center along with 11 other partner organizations who will sustain the center’s life by fulfilling their own missions and ministries. These include:

Continue reading...

What are you doing after graduation?

Do you remember this question? Did you dread it like I did? I confess that 15 years ago I was one of those college seniors who had no idea what I was going to do with my life after leaving the safe confines of higher education. Not knowing how to begin a job search, I applied to the Peace Corps and took graduate school entrance exams instead. But really there was a deeper question nagging me as I dropped the graduation party invitations in the mail, I was not sure who I was supposed to be.

Often that deeper question goes unasked as we try to encourage young adults in their journey after college. In our slow economy there is increasing pressure to secure one of the few positions out there, and true discernment feels like a luxury. Even for those a few years out of school, finding the way from work to vocation can be a challenge. The church is not often viewed as a resource during this transition from student to adulthood, yet it can be.

Continue reading...

(The next in a series on the new Church in the Round Episcopal mission in the Lake City neighborhood of Seattle.)

The most exciting outcome of the design process that we have used to create the Church in the Round has been the impetus to begin five brand new ministries. True, the core of the model we have adopted is Partnership, which means that the work of our affiliated groups makes up the dominant share of ministry that will take place under our roof. Still, it will be a significant contribution to our community if our new Episcopal mission can accomplish what we propose.

Continue reading...

It’s getting closer! In this time of preparation, it’s hard not to think about what’s coming: final exams.

In the next week or two college students will hunker down into reams of paper, laptops, and group projects, trying to finish semester long courses with mastery (or at least with passing grades). It’s a stressful time not only for those who take exams, but for the faculty who spend hours grading them all.

This reminder came last Sunday while visiting St. John’s Episcopal Church in Northampton, MA. During announcements, the rector encouraged people to support students in two direct ways: serving “Midnight Breakfast” and making care packages.

Continue reading

Advent is the season for preparation and waiting: Watching for signs of God’s presence as we await the birth of Christ. And, as we wait and pray and listen and look, opportunities to heal and reconcile the brokenness in the world appear.

For our December Vestry Papers articles we are sharing stories of God’s presence among us and the many ways ordinary people leading ordinary lives are sharing the gifts God gave them and discovering the gifts God gave others to give in return.

Continue reading...

Monday night we completed the nine-week design process to launch the Church in the Round. It has resulted in a concept of partnership that will invite in three new ministries or programs to join our existing groups and launch five more brand new efforts. Here is the list of the groups that will make up the Partnership that will form the Church in the Round Community Center:

Brigid’s Circle The Fiji Alliance Church Rites of Passage Journeys The Monday Night AA meeting The Tuesday Night AA meeting The Community of the Paraclete The Little Nest Preschool The Sunday Evening Ecumenical Feeding Program The Third Sunday Meal Program Greater Seattle Cares St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church The Diocese of Olympia

These groups working together will from day one provide enough support for the Center to pay its bills and create a small fund to launch the five new ministries that St. Andrew’s plans to start at the new center.

Continue reading...

Give thanks in all things….St. Paul exhorts us. "And whatever you do, in work or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus; giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:17). Our actual work – all we do – should become a living embodiment of thankfulness each day, in all times and all ways.

On some days, we know, this is easier than on others. How do we give thanks as we stoop in the hot sun to change the tire on a bike that’s desperately needed to transport the baby in a basket to the health clinic? How do we give thanks as we walk through shredded walls torn away by a tornado? How do we give thanks when the rent is due in just three days and our pen calculates a big empty 0 in that checkbook?

Continue reading...

Veterans Day: Is there a better time for congregations to ask how they might support returning troops and their families? 

In today’s Huff Post Religion, G. Jeffrey MacDonald explores some of the ways faith groups are helping the more than 1.35 million veterans adjust to civilian life after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. MacDonald writes, “With symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affecting an estimated one-in-six returning service members, congregations are coming face-to-face with the tolls of war. Experts say faith groups have much to offer, even when the wounds include PTSD and traumatic brain injury.”

Continue reading...

“Can you hear the heartbeat? Mission, mission, mission.”

Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, used this metaphor at her opening sermon at the Church’s 76th General Convention. More recently, this phrase served as the framework for the October 2011 “Everyone, Everywhere” conference as presenters and participants explored the question “What gates and walls need to be opened in order to take up the work God sends us to do?"

Continue reading...

NPR is currently doing an excellent series on how Latinos, the U.S.’ largest minority group, is “making their mark on religion, technology, education, Hollywood and the workplace.” There are many good stories in this series, but I believe two stories and one interactive feature are particularly important for leaders of the Episcopal Church:
U.S. Hispanics Choose Churches Outside Catholicism: While focusing on how evangelical churches are drawing Latinos from Roman Catholicism, much of what is said also applies to The Episcopal Church. Latinos currently constitute the fastest growing segment of The Episcopal Church. How Latinos are Reshaping Communities: This is an interactive map showing population change by state and county. Yellow, orange and red represent the areas with the greatest growth rates - and you will note that many places with growing Latino populations are not where you might expect. And be sure to check out the larger map.  A Look at Iowa's First Majority Hispanic Town: Latinos are changing the face of communities across the U.S. including in areas that have traditionally been majority white. As Iowa’s first majority Hispanic town, West Liberty is an example of one community that has embraced a multilingual, multicultural existence. In our first year, ECF Vital Practices has made a concerted effort to provide articles, resources and tools that will help Episcopal congregations across the country embrace this new reality. In partnership with the Episcopal Church Center's Office of Latino Ministry, we are focusing on three key areas: successful models of shared leadership in English and Spanish-speaking congregations, best practices in stewardship/generosity, and intergenerational ministry.

You will note in the list below that while some of the material has been made available in both English and Spanish, a few have not. This reflects the relatively high cost of translations and the fact of limited budgets. Here’s a short list of what we have been able to do so far:  

Continue reading...

Real change can happen when we make the shift from meeting needs to recognizing and accepting gifts.

I’d like to share a story I heard last week during a workshop on Asset Based Community Development at the Everyone, Everywhere conference …

Damon is a minister serving a congregation in the poorest section of a Midwestern city. People living in this part of the city receive lots of services: assistance with food, clothing, medical care, housing, etc. Yet, after years of service delivery, no real change has occurred in this community.

Damon’s first encounter with Clint was when Clint approached him in front of the church and asked for money. Damon refused, and invited Clint to come to church. This scenario repeated itself over time, with Clint asking for a handout, Damon refusing and instead inviting Clint to church. Each time Clint refused, sharing that he was an alcoholic.

Continue reading...

Our communities need our help.

But in some places, the needs are so many, so overwhelming, that we don't know where to start. So we never move past conception stage to get into the gritty work of helping people.

One way to move past this mission overload is to zero in on a specific issue.

African American and other minority groups face myriad challenges: higher rates of unemployment and incarceration, racism, drug addiction, language barriers. It's exhausting just to think about all the work and ministry that needs to be done.

When St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, a historic black congregation in Dayton, Ohio, began its newest ministry, it narrowed its focus to a particular problem: obesity in African American, Latino, and low-income children.

Continue reading...

The economic news in Dayton, Ohio, isn’t good.

Long a manufacturing hub, the city has acutely felt the national financial woes. One in 10 workers are unemployed, and job loss is among the highest in the state.

But leave it to the Episcopal churches there to find a silver lining.

For the past 2 ½ years, the wardens of the Dayton area have met quarterly. Note: the clergy meet for clericus gatherings as well. That’s pretty common. But what is unusual is the lay leadership committing to regular meetings to find creative ways to collaborate during these troubling times.

Continue reading...

I’ve been traveling this past week. From New York to Memphis to San Antonio, I am visiting friends and family after a lengthy time away. In the process, however, I’ve also had the opportunity to check out a few innovative ministries taking place outside the Episcopal Church.  

For instance, last Friday evening I attended ‘The Way’, a ministry of St. John’s United Methodist in Memphis, TN. ‘The Way’ is a special evening worship service aimed at individuals who are recovering from addictions and their supporters. But as this photo indicates, the line between these two groups is intentionally blurred, a core theme of the service being that “everyone is in recovery” and “there is a God-sized hole in everyone’s heart”. (In addition to this service, St. John's also supports anonymous support and reading groups on recovery.)

Continue reading...

Editor's Note: Earlier this year, Bishop Rickel (Diocese of Olympia) approached Peter Strimer and the vestry at St. Andrew's to ask if they would consider taking over operations at St. George's Episcopal Church which closed in May.  Peter wrote about the challenge St. Andrew's accepted in Getting Started.

Deciding what to do when a ministry outlasts a church seems to be my new project in launching “Church in the Round” in the Lake City neighborhood of Seattle.

We opened the doors today on this new effort in the building of what was St. George’s Episcopal Church up until May 15. The church closed but the ministry didn’t stop.

So the only mandatory assignment from the bishop in launching our new effort is that the existing ministries that were housed at the now defunct St. George’s Episcopal Church be afforded a base camp even if the church doesn’t exist anymore.

Continue reading...

This past July, Tim Schenk, Episcopal priest and blogger at Clergy Family Confidential, tweeted “Forget the tea. I should write a best-selling book called ‘Three Cups of Coffee.’ Subtitle: A Day in the Life of Fr. Tim."

As might be expected, I laughed and thought "That's a great idea!" And I agreed with one person's wry response of "Well at least it would be true." 

Oddly enough, however, I'm still thinking about the title of Tim's proposed book. In fact, after mulling this over for a while, I to decided to call Tim last week about a slightly different take on Three Cups of Coffee. (He seemed both thrilled and somewhat surprised that I took his tweet so seriously.) 
In our call, I suggested that Three Cups of Coffee should instead be about Episcopal congregations taking on global concerns, particularly as they appear at the local level. Stories, for instance, of parishes in Louisville, KY and Minneapolis, MN helping to resettle refugees, or that of the Diocese of Spokane, WA making the connection between local and international hunger. A book, in other words, that would be distinct from its more famous predecessor in that these stories would be 1) true and 2) about communities rather than lone heroes, where local congregations discover a passion for global concerns via the more mundane realities of discernment, committee meetings, vestry votes and yes, cup after cup of coffee.
Whether or not Three Cups of Coffee will be hitting the bookshelves any time soon, the idea remains the same. Whatever their size, Episcopal congregations can make a major difference in their local communities around global concerns. Indeed, I believe they can change the world.