Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

The sun slid down the mountains, and the game was on.   

Cornhole, a very Midwestern pastime, kicked into high gear. A father and son played on one team, a high school freshman and a thirty-something on the other. The cheer team packed the picnic tables.   

One of the boys was only seven—and perhaps playing his first game of cornhole with adults. The bags fell short, throw after throw. Another adult, not related to the boy, stepped up and showed him how to throw. Take a long step, swing your arm, release. The boy practiced a few times.   

On his next turn, he launched the bean bag. It slid onto the painted board and then through the hole. Score.   

The cheer team erupted. A smile snuck into the corners of the boy’s mouth, but he remained stoic. He was playing with the big boys, and he wanted to act like one.   

Continue reading...

On Sunday, I went to an English-language, Anglican church in Rio de Janeiro, where I am visiting my wife’s family. It was a relatively small congregation - about 50 people - and the Brazilian priest spoke English, only occasionally stumbling over words.

In his sermon he quoted a rabbi, whose name and exact words I cannot recall, but the gist of it was this: even good things are bad for us if we do not give thanks for them. Food to eat, shelter, friends, even these things can corrode our soul if we are not thankful.

This message struck a chord in me, perhaps because I am on vacation in Brazil and have many things to be grateful for. I have more than I need. For this reason, perhaps, it is especially important for me to remember that what I have is a gift. Remembering this from time to time helps me to hold a little less tightly to what I have. If everything is a gift then it’s a little easier to give it away.

As my wife pointed out to me, there is a danger in telling other people to be grateful for what they have. It doesn’t acknowledge the parts of their lives that are difficult, the ways in which they’ve worked hard, the obstacles they’ve overcome, the disadvantages they’ve been born with, the suffering, seen and unseen, that they endure. No one wants to be told to be grateful for what they’ve had when they’re struggling to make ends meet, for example, or when they’re fighting cancer, especially not by a privileged, healthy person like me.

Continue reading...

Tengo la oportunidad de conocer a varias personas cuando viajo y he podido captar una parte de sus historias cuando las entrevisto. Para compartirlos tengo que editarlos y aprendo mucho porque paso bastante tiempo con cada video – y así con cada persona. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/giK7hawYx94" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

En este video con el Padre Uriel López aprendemos sobre una parroquia bilingüe. Nos habla de la mayordomía, de la junta parroquial y de la formación de los líderes. Algo que me llamó mucho la atención es que habla sobre un retiro que tiene que se llama Mi Tercer Día. Es una modificación del Cursillo de Cristiandad y del Arco Iris (adaptado por el Rvdo. Alejandro y Laura Montes) y como ellos, el retiro Mi Tercer Día está centrado en la experiencia de resurrección. “Jesús estuvo en la tumba y sale a darnos su vida y darnos nueva vida. Jesús nos da nueva vida y nos llama a estar vivos,” nos dice el Padre López. Y me recuerda de la vida que sentí durante unas vacaciones en la Playa de la Isla del Padre.

Aunque estoy de “vacaciones” durante el verano por ser maestra no he parado de trabajar. Decidí que necesitaba irme de viaje a un lugar que me encanta – la playa. Necesitaba, como nos dice el Padre, tener una experiencia de resurrección. El agua, el sol, la arena, y aun manejar por seis horas me dieron nueva vida. Disfruté cada instante hasta que tuve que regresar a la realidad. Disfruté el agua por horas y cada vez que me metía al agua sentía que me bautizaba una vez más. Cantaba todos los cantos que me venían a la mente al estar inmersa en el agua fría que refrescaba mi piel bronceada. Oraba, suspiraba, soñaba, y hasta discutía en ese tiempo de reflexión y descanso. La música del agua me acompañaba y me respondía. Me abrazaba, me arrullaba, y me cargaba. Desde que llegué a la Isla un martes por la tarde hasta que me fui de ella un sábado al mediodía, mi corazón se llenaba y mi copa rebosaba de felicidad, agradecimiento, y amor. Tuve mucho tiempo para pensar, planear, y resolver algunos asuntos pendientes en mi vida.

Siga leyendo...

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chatham, New Jersey was considering a capital campaign; ECF consultant, Gerald (Jerry) Keucher was working with them. As Jerry tells it, the driving force behind a campaign was two-fold: First, to improve the accessibility of the church’s existing facilities and second, to address the deficiencies in its organ obvious to the musical members of the congregation.

What happened here is a powerful story of listening and education. 

Phillip White, a self identified “nonmusical” member at St. Paul’s, tells the story:

“Several years ago, I was invited to join a committee at St. Paul's to consider what to do about the organ. At the time, I couldn't imagine why. I am not musical. I don't play an instrument. I quickly concluded I was asked to join the committee as a representative of the others like me in the congregation - the ones who would be skeptical about spending money - any money, really - on replacing or repairing our organ.

“The committee had already met several times when I attended my first meeting. They had visited a few other churches to hear their new organs, had collected some proposals, and met with a few organ salespeople. I quickly learned the cost of a new organ was quite high and the debate was mostly about whether to buy a new pipe organ or a digital one or some combination of the two. As I listened to the discussion, I was confused by the jargon: What's a stop or a console? After a time, thinking that this group of music lovers had never considered the obvious third alternative, I blurted out: ‘Wait, why would we spend so much time and money on an organ when ours sounds fine to me?’

Continue reading...

Why is it important for congregations to have a clear – and shared - vision of what God is calling them to do? Many times congregations discover the root of their conflict is a different understanding of the vision. Making – and taking - the time to prayerfully discern your shared mission and vision is holy work.

Our August offerings include:

Continue reading...

It happened two weeks ago today, at the time I send this for publication, and I still can't believe it. An armed gunman opened fire on United States military recruiting offices in our town of Chattanooga.

I think a lot about my identity as a priest in the church. Let's call that discernment. One of my thoughts is that, in some ways, I am in the business of believing. I try live my life in such a way – believing so “loudly” in peace, love, family, relationships, and God – that hopefully others are drawn to that way of life. At least, that's my working theory. So for me to write that I cannot believe something is tough. In the weeks I have had to reflect, I think what I cannot believe the most is tragedies like these are always happening somewhere in our country.

According to an article in the Washington Post, there have been as many mass shootings in the United States this year as there have been days so far this year. That's what I cannot believe. My two hometowns – the one where I was born and the one where I live now – are Charleston, SC, and Chattanooga, Tenn – were both hit a month apart. News coverage can paradoxically simultaneously draw attention to the sensationalistic aspects of while shortening our memories of the events' impacts on the lives of those left in the wake of senseless violence. It can all get to be too much some times.

But I got to witness something recently. In the aftermath, our city, Chattanooga – still fragmented by the aftereffects of segregation and institutionalized racist policies – is trying to come together... and it is happening through social media.

Continue reading...

The clubhouse was bigger than we anticipated.

Our plan was to have the guys build the clubhouse in the woods behind our house. We had cleared a flat space and put in some railroad-tie steps down the incline. But the builders nixed the idea. There was no way they could build the shed-turned-clubhouse in the woods. So we punted and had them erect the building in the corner of our yard, with windows overlooking the woods. Problem solved (and likely with fewer spiders and other woodsy creatures).

Until we got a knock on our door at 4:45 pm on a Friday. An inspector from the city’s building department was on the porch. He explained his office had received a call from a neighbor inquiring if we had a building permit. Um. No. The move from the woods to the yard apparently required a permit (Don’t worry; we got it with no problems on Monday morning). The clubhouse/shed had apparently irked an anonymous neighbor.

All weekend, I fumed. Which neighbor? Not the family across the street whose kids have been pining along with mine for a clubhouse. Not the guy who trades beer brewing tips with my husband. Not the new folks who are as friendly as can be.

Why couldn’t the neighbor have talked with us if he/she was concerned? Why were they nosing in our business? It’s not their yard! Why couldn’t he/she been, well, more neighborly? 

Continue reading...

Con nuestros propios ojos vimos al Señor en su grandeza. 2 Pedro 1:16

Hablé con una amiga durante la semana pasada y hablamos sobre algo que he escuchado mucho en el ministerio. Este tema es uno que he vivido y me han contado durante todo mi tiempo como líder. Pero creo que como Latin@s/Hispan@s no nos gusta aportar el tema. He visto y escuchado de muchas personas que brincan de Iglesia a Iglesia. Parece como que estuviéramos de compras o saliendo con la Iglesia (en inglés se llama dating) y no nos comprometemos a una. Como líder y sacerdote, esto es difícil ya que las personas se van, a veces sin explicaciones, y nos dejan con sus responsabilidades en nuestras manos. ¿Las razones? Es que el padre nos regaña. Es que la reverenda nos pide que demos diezmos y ofrendas. Es que me hizo una cara fea la encargada de l@s niñ@s. Es que me quieren cobrar por usar el espacio para tener mi quince/boda/aniversario. “Es que” parece ser más importante que “sé que”. Sé que Dios me pide que cambie. Sé que Dios necesita que sea Sus manos y pies en este mundo. Sé que tod@s somos human@s y tenemos días malos. Sé que la Iglesia necesita de mis ofrendas para seguir ministrando y bendiciendo como lo ha hecho por mí.

Pero realmente, como leemos en las lecturas para la Fiesta de la Transfiguración del 6 de agosto, necesitamos ser transformad@s. Necesitamos ver con nuestros propios ojos la grandeza de Dios (2 Pedro 1:16), permanecer despiert@s para ver la gloria de Jesús (Lucas 9:32) y hablar con Dios para que nuestro rostro y vida resplandezcan (Éxodo 34:29). Así cambiaremos y nos comprometeremos y dejaremos de brincar o ir de compras para ver cuál iglesia nos queda mejor. La mejor Iglesia es en la que estás. Dios te ha puesto ahí. No es fácil, lo sé, pero cuando decidimos a estar y ser comprometid@s veremos los beneficios de ser una parte íntegra e importante de un ministerio. Somos parte del Cuerpo de Dios y nuestro mandato es orar, escuchar, y actuar.

Siga leyendo

ECF Vital Practices and our new Vestry Resource Guide provide helpful insights on strategic planning and direction for congregations and dioceses. It’s uplifting to witness congregations as they identify their ministry strengths and then prayerfully create a vision for the impact they could make by using those strengths to the glory of God.

Mission. Vision. Strengths. Values. All are positive! So what happens after the strategic planning or visioning retreat in which these are so enthusiastically created? What happens when the idea-filled flip chart pages are rolled up and tossed in the recycling bin? Is the vision statement placed somewhere deep in the parish web site rarely to be seen again?

If your leadership spends valuable time and powerful prayer to create a vision and set priorities, respect that effort enough to do something really important: Commit to using them.

The nitty-gritty of implementation begins with sharing the strategic tools you’ve created with the congregation and church staff. Invite everyone to prayerfully consider what they can do in support of the mission, to help the church move toward the vision, starting with the priorities identified in strategic planning.

For instance, if your vision includes being a welcoming parish, perhaps the buildings & grounds committee might review signage and accessibility. Christian formation could plan an open house for families in the neighborhood to learn about your Sunday school. The outreach commission might invite clients of the food bank to a meal with an Evening Prayer service that introduces the newcomers to the Prayer Book and assures them that they are welcome to worship with you any Sunday.

Continue reading...

It is time for congregations to develop protocols for responding to hate initiatives on their doorsteps.

As the intolerant lose any self-discipline in lashing out at others, we can expect a fresh round of cross-burnings, gay-bashing graffiti, and online vitriol. At an Episcopal church in Delaware last weekend, for example, worshipers returned to their cars to find leaflets attacking them for being an inclusive church.

Such incidents are happening throughout our deeply divided nation, as well as in European states dealing with ethnic diversity and neo-Nazism. If your church, or its denomination, is identified as being gay-affirming, performing same-sex weddings, welcoming women into leadership, collaborating with Jews and Muslims, or honoring racial diversity, including mixed-race couples, you can expect to be noticed and, increasingly, targeted.

Will that mean 100 hate initiatives, or a thousand, or a million? There's no way to know. But being prepared seems sadly necessary.

Here are some suggested protocols for handling hate initiatives affecting your congregation:

Continue reading...

This past weekend I was in Arizona visiting family. I live in New York City; most of my Arizona family live in small mining towns in the southeast part of the state, so I don’t see them often. It’s very hot there, but it’s also beautiful. The highways cut through hills covered in cacti and scrub brush. There are low mountains on the horizon and lots of bright blue sky. 

Much of my family on my dad’s side has lived their entire lives in Arizona. Many of them work for the nearby copper mine. They also love to talk and tell stories, so I when I’m there I spend a lot of time listening. 

It’s easy in New York or in the Episcopal Church to spend most of my time with people just like me. Most of my Facebook friends are liberal college graduates and so are most of the people I regularly interact with at work. Leaving New York and listening to my family’s stories exposes me to a different life and a slightly different way of seeing the world. Many of their lives have had a very different trajectory than mine. Around kitchen tables my aunt talked about her faith and my grandmother recounted memories of her life in a small town. She turned 80 this past weekend, and so she has many stories to tell, some happy and some not. 

Continue reading...

Not surprisingly, a tangential remark led to a rich conversation at one of the many meetings we’ve been having among the Episcopal churches in southern Maryland. “The fact is that the numbers get you to understand the need for institutional collaboration very quickly,” said the treasurer of one of the congregations represented. “In our congregation,” he added, “the pledging and giving trends are skewed toward complete unsustainability: older, more established members are giving at levels so much higher than younger, newer members.” 

This is an undeniable trend, he was saying, and this numerical fact, alone, should speak to and spur on our work with real haste and creativity. At this rate, The Episcopal Church in southern Maryland will look radically and fundamentally different when my daughter (now almost 7 years old) will enter high school. We’re not talking about another generation or two; we’re talking about a few more years. As any casual church leader might suspect, statements like this can kick off passionate conversation.

It also kicked off an investigation and further research. Joey Rick, canon for congregational vitality in our Episcopal Diocese of Washington, has been sitting with us at these meetings in southern Maryland, helping facilitate and give guidance to our discernment. Later that week, Joey sent this very question out to clergy and leaders in our wider diocesan community: If you were to analyze giving and pledging trends in your congregation, what trends and patterns would you realize?

The numbers and trends are not comforting. To be fair, Joey only got 16 responses; it was early June when she sent out that email. Nor did all of them quote numbers; some gave rough percentages. She called it a “Compilation of Responses,” not an analysis, per se, but here’s what she found:

Continue reading...

There’s tradition, Episcopal style, and then there’s rock royalty. A congregation in the heart of Kentucky decided to marry the two for a good cause.

When the local food pantry needed help, the folks at St. John’s, Versailles, got creative. They held a Beatles-themed Eucharist, with the offering earmarked for the pantry. Instead of hymns, the congregation sang Beatles songs, some of which were tweaked slightly to be more faith-focused.

Before we move too far, let me offer an important caveat: I’m not a fan of gimmicky worship. Our tradition is rich and broad, and I don’t think we need to “spruce it up” with the latest and greatest. But for me, there are some important exceptions. I still get goose bumps when I think of my first U2charist. The merging of my tradition with some of U2’s soul-stirring songs moved me deeply. When Michael Curry, then a priest and now presiding-bishop elect of The Episcopal Church, took to the pulpit, my heart was laid open, primed by music that had fed a searching teen.

I wouldn’t want a U2charist every Sunday but on the rare occasion, I’ve found the service to be a wonderful companion in my faith journey. I suspect the same would be true of a Beatles Eucharist. 

Continue reading...

I've always been a little uncomfortable with approaches to church that draw directly from the so-called corporate world. The idea that gospel witness offers an easy parallel with marketing is downright creepy, frankly. And I'm increasingly suspicious of the conventional wisdom that we won't accomplish anything if we don't have "measurable goals" to work towards.

In this time of tremendous cultural change for the church, expecting that we are going to shape the future by our ability to envision "outcomes" seems the height of arrogance, and also a sadly impoverished approach to our call to be faithful. A part of the legacy of mid-twentieth century church success (as measured by market share) is limited imagination. The scope of what most of us can imagine church to be is simply too small for the era we inhabit.

In our ministry here in Los Angeles, we are experimenting with other ways to envision our part in shaping the future. We refer to our approach as "ten steps."

We have identified several areas of our church and community life where the Spirit seems to be on the move. In each of those areas, we have worked out ten steps that we will take to strengthen relationships, train leaders, reach out the community, offer space, plan creative liturgies, offer opportunities for spiritual growth and Christian formation, and so on.

Continue reading...

¿Cómo vivo #blacklivesmatter #homelessJesus #LoveWins y otros eslóganes a diario? (las vidas de los negros vale/importa, el Jesús sin hogar, el amor gana)

Estaba mirando mi gafete que llevaba en la Convención General y noté que algunos de mis botones se han caído. Sé que algunos se quedaron por Utah porque los perdí antes de regresar y no sé que pasó con los demás. Mientras veo también la bella estatua de miniatura del Jesús sin hogar me pregunto si he estado viviendo tan entusiastamente los sentimientos de estos recordatorios como cuando estaba en medio de personas que usaban los mismos botones y sonreíamos cuando nos encontrábamos. Es fácil dejarme llevar con la emoción de todo el mundo y, mientras estoy en lugares o con personas que alimentan estas causas pensar que lo que hacemos vale la pena. Pero cuando regreso a casa, ¿qué? En realidad, ¿qué significa todo esto si mi corazón sigue igual? Y, ¿cómo puedo llevar lo que he visto, sentido y oído en mi corazón y en mi vida cotidiana?

Como una de mis pasiones es tomar fotos y hacer videos, he podido usar esta pasión para difundir diferentes mensajes de personas alrededor de la Iglesia Episcopal. He puesto varios videos en español en el canal de YouTube de ECF (suscríbete aquí para no perderte ninguno https://www.youtube.com/user/ECFVideos/videos) y cuando los edito tengo la oportunidad de escuchar los mensajes una y otra vez y me inspiran. Esta entrevista con el Padre Fred Clarkson me inspiró a hacer una lista de cómo seguir alimentando y viviendo todo lo que he aprendido durante el mes pasado sobre la inclusión, el sufrimiento, la igualdad, la compasión, y la Iglesia Episcopal.

Siga leyendo....

What do we do with broken history?

There is no going back and fixing the atrocities of the past, nor denying that they play a powerful role in shaping the present. None of us can disentangle as individuals from stolen land, enslaved lives, supremacist ideologies, devastating wars.

We can, and hopefully do, work against injustices and oppression in the present. What to do with the past is harder.

Two recent experiences made me think.

First, my family became Germans.

My husband’s grandparents were Jewish refugees from Germany who made it to the United States after having their citizenship stripped by the Nazis. My mother-in-law has their passports: swastikas on the covers, large red “J”s stamped across the photo page, new middle names that were assigned to identify them as Jews.

Germany has a law that allows the direct descendants of people whose citizenship was taken by the Third Reich to apply for “re-naturalization” or restoration of citizenship. My very American brother-in-law and husband applied, and my children were included in the petition.

I went with them to receive their naturalization papers. The ceremony was very short, and surprisingly moving. The German consular official, born well after the end of the war, sat with two Jewish families and apologized on behalf of his country. He used the story of his own family to speak of how Germany has changed, what Germans have had to give up in order to regain their place in the international community. He said it was an honor for Germany to be given a second chance by families that never should have lost their citizenship to begin with. He was, very simply, sorry. He did not in any way suggest that Germany could fix the past, or reduce the suffering it had caused with any act of restoration in the present.

Continue reading...

This post is also available in Spanish aqui.

I knew it was going to be life-changing
I just didn't know how
I knew I was going to shed some tears
I just didn't know when
I knew I was going to feel uncomfortable
I just didn't know why
I knew I was going to learn new things
I just didn't know which
I am at a Plantation for the first time
I knew I would see a big White House
And slave quarters
As I walk towards the big house
I feel as though I am in a scene from The Color Purple
and I smile with pain
I stand near a chimney and breathe
With spirits of young and old running all around me
Showing me how to feel and what to do
As I touch a slave child’s footprint left on a brick
and imagine his laughter (he’s my son in my mind)
I cry.

Written during my quiet reflection time after hearing three slave narratives at one of the largest plantation complexes in the south – Stagville Plantation.

Last week I had a transformative experience when I was part of the Lift Every Voice/Freedom Ride event in the Diocese of North Carolina (you can read about it here). It was an event for youth and young adults that centered around truth, reconciliation, and peace. There were over 70 of us from several dioceses around the nation and South Africa. As part of the leadership and music team I had the opportunity to plan and hear ideas of how we would help the participants and ourselves months in advance. From the first moment I felt the love of God in each person of the team – mostly comprised of young adults. Even though I only knew the director, my musician partner, and my son, I felt great intimacy with each person present. We were united by curiosity and deep emotions and I also feel we are united by some fear that this experience will bring a lot of feelings that we might not even know we hold inside. We pray a lot and we commend ourselves to God.

During the week we had opportunities to visit places that were key for social justice and the history of civil rights in North Carolina. We had the chance to meet historic figures as well as activists who greatly inspired us. We heard many narratives from invited guests, team members, and participants. Each story, each anecdote, each poem, each video, each prayer drew us closer and gave us hope to keep going. We cried, laughed, remembered, and lived.

One of my highlights was meeting Episcopal Latinas and being able to interview some. I interviewed Cecilia Alvarez, Canon for Transition Ministry and Clergy Development from the Diocese of New Jersey who taught me about making daily devotion time to spend with God. Student and activist Fernanda Torres taught me about the feelings of isolation and people’s judgment when people find out you are undocumented. Activist and teacher Elisa Benitez taught me the importance of being an advocate for those who don’t have a voice or aren’t being heard. Fernanda and Elisa are from the Diocese of North Carolina. Each one taught me lessons the entire week on God’s unconditional love and the importance of having a relationship with God. (Note: You can find more videos, pictures, and stories by searching #LEVNC on social media.)

Continue reading...

This article is also available in English aquí. 

Nota de la editora: para l@s que no conocen el significado de @ en una palabra, se usa la @ para usar un lenguaje inclusivo que representa el femenino y masculino de una palabra.

Sabía que iba a cambiar mi vida
Pero no sabía cómo
Sabía que iba a brotar lágrimas
Pero no sabía cuándo
Sabía que me iba a sentir incómoda
Pero no sabía por qué
Sabía que iba a aprender varias cosas
Pero no sabía cuáles
Estoy en una Plantación por primera vez
Sabía que iba a ver una Casa grande Blanca
Y cuartos para esclavos
Al caminar hacia la casa grande
Siento como si estoy en una escena de la película El Color Púrpura
y sonrío con dolor
Me paro cerca de una chimenea y respiro
Con los espíritus de chicos y grandes corriendo a mi alrededor
Mostrándome cómo sentirme y qué hacer
Cuando toco una huella del pie de un niño esclavo sobre un ladrillo
me imagino su risa (es mi hijo en mi mente)
Lloro.

Escrito durante mi tiempo de reflexión silenciosa después de haber escuchado tres narrativas de esclavos en una de las plantaciones más grandes del sur – Stagville Plantation.

La semana pasada tuve una experiencia transformativa cuando estuve en el evento de la Diócesis de Carolina del Norte, Alcemos cada voz/Viaje por la libertad (puede leer información sobre la semana en inglés: http://lifteveryvoice.dionc.org/). Fue un evento para jóvenes y jóvenes adultos que se centró en la verdad, la reconciliación, y la paz. Estuvimos más de 70 personas de varias diócesis del país y Sudáfrica. Como parte del liderazgo y la música tuve la oportunidad de planificar y escuchar las ideas de cómo íbamos a ayudar a las personas que iban a participar, y a nosotr@s mism@s por varios meses de anticipación. Desde el primer momento sentí el amor de Dios en cada persona del equipo – la mayoría jóvenes adultos. Aunque yo sólo conocía a la directora, a mi compañero músico y a mi hijo, sentí gran intimidad con cada persona que estaba presente. Nos unía una curiosidad, emoción, y pienso que también un poco de temor por esta semana que iba a empezar e iba a traer muchos sentimientos que tal vez ni sabíamos que llevábamos dentro. Oramos mucho y nos encomendamos a Dios.

Durante la semana tuvimos oportunidades de ir a diferentes lugares claves para la justicia social y la historia de los derechos civiles en Carolina del Norte. Tuvimos la oportunidad de conocer a personas históricas y también a personas que son activistas y dan mucha inspiración. Escuchamos muchas narrativas de parte de las personas invitadas, del equipo y de l@s participantes. Cada historia, cada anécdota, cada poema, cada video, cada oración nos acercaba más y nos daba esperanza para seguir adelante. Lloramos, reímos, recordamos, y vivimos.

Un momento alto fue conocer a Latinas Episcopales y entrevistar a algunas. Pude entrevistar a Cecilia Alvarez, Canóniga del ministerio de transición y desarrollo del clero, de la diócesis de Nueva Jersey que me enseñó sobre el tiempo diario en meditación con Dios, a la estudiante Fernanda Torres que me enseñó sobre el sentimiento de aislamiento cuando eres indocumentado y a la activista y maestra Elisa Benitez que me enseñó sobre la importancia de ser una activista para las personas que no tienen una voz o que no se les escucha. Fernanda y Elisa son de la diócesis de Carolina del Norte. Estas tres mujeres me dieron lecciones toda la semana sobre el amor de Dios y la importancia de tener una relación con Dios. (Nota: Puedes ir a los medios sociales y buscar #LEVNC para ver más videos, fotos, y pensamientos.) 

Siga leyendo...

I have been booked several times now to speak about social media in the Church. Friends and family who know me well find great humor in this, as do I. Asking me to speak at a conference on social media is a bit like asking a videotape to parse Latin sentences in the presence of ocelots.

When I am booked for such work, I try to talk the person booking me out of it. The truth is: I am not a big social media person. This is when the person booking me tells me that she or he is up against a deadline or that really they just wanted to hear Southside Abbey stories and their only free slot was in social media. This is not to say that I do not think social media is important, because I do. I really, really do! The Apostle Paul used all the media at his disposal: he talked to people, he spoke in public (sometimes in chains), and he wrote letters. We have to be using every type of media at our disposal too.

Let me explain. Southside Abbey has a fair number of people who do not have cell phones or computers or anything like that as an ever-present part of their lives. This may be due to social location, geographic location, educational location, or temporal location, but it is there as a reality. We also have a fair number of people who are active in social media; they post a lot of pictures, quotes, videos, articles, and the like. These two groups have kept me from 1) relying on social media for communication with our entire body and 2) kept me from learning a lot about social media because I am surrounded by people who like to and do engage that way and who do it a lot better than I would.

Continue reading...

We still have the dog days of summer ahead, but fall isn’t far beyond.

And with the start of school comes the start of the program year for churches. Hopefully yours already has been talking about how to kick off the year in grand fashion. I encourage you to do something fun, to gather the congregation and invite in the community as you celebrate this coming back together.

The type of event can vary: ice cream social, blessing of the backpacks, potluck picnic, pool party. Think about what works for your congregation. And then think about what might stretch them. If you normally bless the backpacks of the children already in the church, consider opening the event to the neighborhood, enticing families with free school supplies and hot fudge.

Continue reading...