Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

A few days ago I had received a somewhat awkward phone call. I volunteer with an organization that advocates for policies and practices to curb climate change, and a colleague from the subcommittee I serve on sent an email out about a new initiative we were about to launch. Except that someone else on a different committee had already begun work on this initiative. So she called me.

“Tell me if this sounds petty, but I think it’s just better to clear the air,” she said. In reality, it was a small mistake, but an oversight nonetheless. She’d been working hard and our email completely ignored, and in her view, undermined her work.

I can’t say that I enjoyed the phone call, but I appreciated it. She could have sent me an email, but striking the right tone of that kind of message in an email is nearly impossible. Or she could have said nothing, which might have been worse.

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I was at a parish that had devoted a great deal of time on communications related to a capital campaign. They sent out letters and emails. Announcements were given and small groups met to discuss the plans. Multiple bulletin boards displayed architectural plans and the adult formation hour was used to discuss the project. Utilizing every vehicle in their tool kit, the parish sought to ensure all members would know about their plans to proceed.

This is an ideal congregation to work with. One who wants everyone to have access to the same information and for folks to feel a connection to the decisions being made by their leaders. A parish where there is an ethos of transparency and trust.

So why is it that sometimes folks still don`t hear the messages we send? This is a common question and the answers are varied. I have heard comments ranging from lack of engagement to “People hear what they want to hear.” What if there was a different answer?

It turns that organizational or personal stress can biologically impact our ability to gather or retain information. “As the body prepares to handle a perceived threat, the stress hormone cortisol shuts down neurons in the brain, preventing it from storing new information,“ cites Marcia Reynolds, author of Outsmart Your Brain, Covisioning, 2004.  

In the January 1, 2003, Harvard Business Review article “Don`t Let Stress Strain Communication,” Anne Field notes that stress can lead to communication hang-ups such as unclear directions, defensiveness, and forgetfulness. 

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Well, they actually have already come, and gone. One of the blessings of being an ECF Fellow for 2015 is the opportunity that it affords Southside Abbey to grow with other communities that will come visit us as part of the Innovative Leadership Rounds Program. Our time with the Minnesotans was a pilot of that program, graciously put together by Missioner Steve Mullaney and the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. 

Nine Minnesotans descended upon Chattanooga's Southside late Thursday evening. I don't know what any of us thought would happen, but I can share what did happen. Somewhere along the way the Holy Spirit showed up for each one of us.

While it certainly helps that Steve brought a fantastic group of faithful followers of Jesus with him, I know that this special weekend is one that I will treasure for a long time to come, as it continues to feed me days later.

This time together was an opportunity to learn from one another. We at Southside Abbey were able to share with our new friends what we are doing, while at the same time seeing Southside Abbey's mission and ministry through fresh eyes.

During our time together: We ate, we prayed, we shared our hopes for the trip, we slept, we went on a “reality bus tour” of Chattanooga's Southside, we ate, we met immigrants and those experiencing homelessness, we shared Christ's table with them at H♥ART Gallery, we ate, we jubilee-ified (now a word) a laundromat – providing quarters, pizza, soap, and hope, we were part of house blessing of a man who had lived on the streets for more than a dozen years, we ate, we worshiped in “traditional” Episcopal ways, we worshiped in “non-traditional” Episcopal ways, we shared stories, we talked, we processed, we ate, we wrote a compline liturgy together (which still requires some editing and permissions, but will soon be up on Southside Abbey's website under the “Open Source” tab), we sang, we prayerfully walked the neighborhood, and we said “see you later.”

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In just two weeks, leaders from across The Episcopal Church will gather for General Convention. Held every three years, this conference is a time for the Church to pray together, to spend time wrestling with difficult issues, and to chart a course for the future.

In preparation for this work, a group of people prepared a report called the “State of the Church.” In a lot of ways, it’s similar to the President’s State of the Union address or a review of the year offered by the rector and/or senior warden of a congregation at the annual meeting. The report offers an analysis of the Church, gleaned from statistical trends, interviews with stakeholders, and anecdotal evidence. In some ways, it’s a diagnostic tool: here’s where we are, here are the places of ill health, and here are some highlights of places of strength. It offers some recommendations and insights into ways of building on those strengths and moving forward not in fear but with energy for creating something new. But the real work of determining the future lies both with the bishops and deputies of this General Convention and importantly, with you, the faithful members and leaders of congregations big and small across the Church.

Whether or not you are attending General Convention, will be following it online, or couldn’t give a hoot about the gathering, you should care about the insights of this State of the Church report.

We know that each part of the body is critical to its overall vitality, and places of weakness or sickness spread and threaten the healthy ones. But at the same time, there is good news because vibrant, thriving places can also spread and ignite.

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From the beginning of his ministry as the seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, the Rt. Rev. Edward S. Little II has beamed a spiritual focus to follow. Personifying the lighthouse on the diocesan seal, Little has delivered powerful messages that illuminate priorities for Christ centered living and ministry.

Communicating the right priorities is one of the keys to strategic leadership. I offer a glimpse of Little here as a model of such leadership.

Little’s strategic legacy began with his seating sermon in 2000, in which he called on his new flock to embrace the lighthouse as a vision for individual and congregational ministries. To prompt and guide, he set four core values for the diocese:

A passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ A heart for the lost A willingness to do whatever it takes A commitment to one another

Throughout the 15 years since that sermon, Little gathered story after story of how these values are beautifully lived in the parishes of northern Indiana. While he loves recounting them, he’d rather that everyone become skilled at telling his/her own story.

Strategically, the Bishop sought to strengthen congregations so that people have stories to tell. He named the Rev. Canon SuzeAnne Silla as Canon to the Ordinary and blessed her to use her extensive congregational development experience to establish the Diocesan Congregational Development Institute (DCDI).

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I had lunch with a parishioner last week who told me about an acronym he had recently learned at a business seminar. It was W.A.I.T. — and it stood for Why Am I Talking? When you’re a preacher, this is something you’re used to people wondering. But the basic premise was a reminder to talk less and listen more.

That’s always good advice and we hear it in a variety of ways. People often quote the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus who proclaimed, “We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Or the Mark Twain corollary, “If we were meant to talk more than listen, we would have two mouths and one ear.” Which, in addition to making daily interactions a lot louder, would make us all look like Mr. Potato Head in the hands of a creative toddler.

Many of us find ourselves in vocations or family interactions or social situations where we are expected to talk. It comes with the role of being a leader or an expert or a teacher or a parent or just a polite member of society. So one problem is that we sometimes feel the need to speak because we think it’s expected. And we find ourselves talking just for the sake of talking while drowning out other voices and perspectives from which we could learn so much more.

The whole idea of the acronym W.A.I.T. is to speak only when we actually have something to contribute. And it helps to recognize that we’re not God’s gift to the conversation — whether in the board room, at the dinner table, or on the telephone.

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We’re getting ready to celebrate our Sunday School kids and families and teachers this Sunday. At the later service, the children will get their certificates, the families will get their photo ‘op,’ and the teachers will be honored, as well. Prayers of blessing over our children and prayers for the continued formation of our entire community will ensue. A picnic follows in the churchyard.

The group of teachers and parents who support this ministry has organized another successful year and, joy-filled closing ceremonies. Technically, they’re the ‘Christian Formation Committee’ but they only meet, maybe, three, four times each year and they’re more of a resource group for each other than a ‘Committee,’ per se. They love helping form kids and adults in the Christian faith. That’s their passion and joy. They’re not into oversight or management or policies and procedures or any of the other stuff we know we have to do – which is why we let the paid staff of the parish make sure everyone’s up to date on their Safeguarding God’s Children, for instance. They’re such a great ‘Committee,’ in fact, that they’ve organized everything for this weekend’s celebration. All I have to do is sign my name on the certificates. The members of the Committee already bought the ice cream gift cards for the kids and they’re already planning the picnic, not to mention this summer’s dynamic Vacation Bible School!

I’m doing all of this at the same time I read on social media and blogs about the “death of Sunday School” and why this old-fashioned institution needs to go away. We don’t have huge numbers, mind you: this year, 29 kids enrolled in our Sunday School and attended (a few more were enrolled but didn’t attend); there was an average of 15 students divided between four classes on a given Sunday, and our work was pulled off by 9 wonderful teachers and 2 happy helpers / aides. Gone are the days in which there was a Sunday School of twelve classes and ten kids per class! I agree. That’s true.

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Leadership challenges come in many forms. One constant we must all face is the ever changing nature of God’s creation, including that of our faith communities. Effective leaders recognize this and pray and work together, seeking understanding of situations and options, and modeling a willingness to move forward, even when the way is unclear.

This quote, from SSJE’s Brother Give Us A Word meditation, captures this constant state of change and reminds us that:

“God prunes, and, as He prunes, enables the tree to grow with a better growth. He cuts down in order that He may graft in, and He would let the old life grow with new fruitfulness.” - Richard Meux Benson, SSJE (1824-1915)

Our June contributors share stories of change that encourage pruning and grafting in ways to cultivate congregational vitality and fruitfulness.

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We’re flummoxed. Our congregation is going against the national trends, with steady and climbing attendance and giving. But when it comes to Vacation Bible School, we’re part of the pack. Our VBS program has been in decline for several years, with smaller numbers of participants and volunteers.

We’re not alone. A study by Christianity Today revealed a 16 percent decline in the number of churches offering VBS programs. And that statistic doesn’t account for the massive changes in VBS, from morning to night, five days to four or even three, smaller sessions, etc.   

Staging VBS is an expensive endeavor—both in actual costs and time and energy of leaders and volunteers. You could argue that cost shouldn’t play a role in the priceless gift of Christian formation. And while the value of education can’t be easily quantified, we also are called to be wise stewards of our resources.

We haven’t figured out the answer. (Maybe you have ideas and examples that have worked in your congregation. If so, share them! Imitation is flattering). But we are trying something new this year. 

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A few years ago I started to worry a lot about climate change. Reading more about it wasn’t helping (this article in Rolling Stone magazine was particularly motivating). The only thing I could find to assuage some of my worry and anxiety was to find a way to take some meaningful action.

So I went to a meeting of the New York chapter of 350.org, a grassroots organization founded by Bill McKibben, working to stop or at least mitigate climate change. I volunteered to hand out flyers and to help plan events. It was in these meetings and that I learned more about climate change and about some possible solutions.

Sometimes, I think, solutions arise from careful planning and reading and writing and sometimes they arise from simply jumping right in and trying things out. I didn’t make a plan or evaluate all the options. I just went out and volunteered to do something.

As we’ve been hearing lately, the Episcopal Church, like many churches, is facing declining membership numbers. Many of us are wondering what the church will look like for future generations.

I don’t think the solution to church vitality lie in theological statements or inspiring blog posts. Of course, these are good and useful. I’m glad there are theologians out there thinking through what we’re doing, but another thing the climate crisis has taught us is that being right isn’t enough to win people over or spur them to action. Preaching the best theology isn’t going to grow the church. The right words and the best arguments aren’t what change the world.

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In this digital age most of us take a lot of pictures. I'm amazed by how fast I can accumulate 1000 pictures on my phone. Most of the time I show them off on the phone itself, passing around particularly good images and inviting friends to scroll through. The pictures on my phone help me tell stories, especially to friends and colleagues with whom I do not share a strong common spoken language.

At church I've been rediscovering the joy of the printed snapshot. After years of rarely printing pictures, I have started ordering prints of all the pictures I take at church. I've become more intentional about documenting what we are up to, either by whipping out my phone and snapping a shot myself, or asking others to take pictures and reminding them to send them to me. Every month or so, I upload all my church pictures onto the app of a local drugstore chain, and order up a set of prints. With their constant discount offers, it rarely costs more than $10 for a good-sized stack of pictures.

Once we've got the pictures, we put them up all over the place. We have three bulletin boards full. I'm thinking about gradually wallpapering the parish hall.

Putting up pictures lets people know what goes on beyond what they see with their own eyes. They see people from the other Sunday services. They see weekday activities in our community gardens, band rehearsals, kids playing basketball in the parking lot, and neighbors decorating our outdoor prayer space with its image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

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The rake uncovered a square piece of plastic in the front flowerbed. We tried to scrape it aside with the other debris of winter, but it was stuck. My husband wiggled it out of the soil.

A five-inch statue of St. Joseph emerged (sans the head. It’s probably buried in there too, but saints have lost their heads many times over the centuries!). Some might not know the tradition of burying a St. Joseph statue in the yard when you put the house up for sale. You’re supposed to bury him upside down, which some previous occupant rightly did. And you’re supposed to dig him up when the house sells, which they obviously forgot.

Sometimes God presents a metaphor for life on a silver platter. This is one of those times. Here we are, preparing the soil for planting. Trimming boxwoods, pruning rosebushes, pulling weeds. And in the process, we uncover the buried.

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I receive some pretty interesting responses when I tell people that I facilitate strategic planning for congregations. By far the most frequent response is a blank stare followed by a polite, “Oh, that must be interesting.” Sometimes an enthusiastic affirmation about the value of strategic planning is offered. Less frequently, fortunately, are those who stare as if they suddenly imagine horns growing out of my head as they question applying corporate gobbledygook to a community of faith.

A simple definition of strategic planning is: Setting priorities to enable a desired outcome to be achieved. It’s about setting a goal and making decisions and taking actions to achieve it. The goal is our VISION, and the actions are our STRATEGIES. 

Vision provides direction. This is valuable for congregations because members are each traveling their own diverse faith journeys. Out of our individuality, God calls us into community to seek Him and to bring others to His Kingdom. The church community to which we are called is special because God has uniquely assembled its members and many other gifts to use to seek and evangelize. 

In congregations, members can run off in scattered directions, or remain complacent in our pews just having our own needs satisfied. Vision calls us to follow a particular path, together. Without vision, “the people are unrestrained.” (I love that translation of Proverbs 29:18 in the New American Standard Bible). Unrestrained might sound fun, but the point is to be obedient in following God’s direction so that His will is accomplished.

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The associate pastor of a 225-member Presbyterian church in rural Virginia sent me an important question.

She described an extensive evangelism project they had undertaken -- at considerable expense and effort -- and asked "why it didn't quite work."

Rather than respond just to her, I thought I would make this a case study from which we all could learn.

Project summary

The church sent two postal mailings to residents of their draw area: one to 1,500 specific names from a purchased list, the other to 4,000 "postal customers." The card invited recipients to attend two meetings with church pastors to consider "When Your Spiritual GPS Says Recalculating: Finding God Again -- or for the First Time."

Three recipients responded to the first mailing but did nothing beyond attending two sessions. Not a single person responded to the second mailing.

I commend their decision to "reach outside our walls." Most congregations are far too inward-focused. Now the problems.

Problem 1: Not knowing the target audience

No one should try to "sell a product," be it cola or religion, without knowing what people want to "buy." I saw no sign that they understood their intended recipients. See problems 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Problem 2: Mushy pitch

Only a committee could love a 14-word title that says nothing. There's a reason why Apple has "The Watch is here." Brevity catches attention, conveys confidence and suggests focus.

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Years ago, I was in a freshman at a Midwest liberal arts college. I took a required course for graduation called “Bible and Culture.” Rick McPeak, the professor, had three rules. The third rule, the one that captured this Episcopalian’s attention, was to commit to transcending my personal biases. 
At the time, I was 17 and unaware I could hold biases much less rise to transcend them. A required reading, which supported the class rules, was F. Scott Peck’s The Road Less Travelled. Peck noted in this formational book, “Human beings are poor examiners, subject to superstition, bias, prejudice and a profound tendency to see what they want to see than what is there.”
Years later, I’m still committed to working on it. Lately, I see the leaders of our Episcopal Churches and ministries living in to this same difficult work. “We tried that once….” “We don`t want to risk losing any members with this new ministry.” “We`ve already sunk so much money into this ministry. We don`t want to miss out on it finally working!” Do any of these sound familiar? Encountered at your most recent vestry or leadership meeting?
Harvard Business Review recently published a fascinating article entitled, “Leaders as Decision Architects” by John Beshears and Francesca Gino. In it the authors note:

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Conflict in Congregations

In this month’s Vital Practices Digest, we’re sharing 5 ways congregations can address or manage conflict while also building trust and well-being. Our 5 resource is offered to help congregations strengthen their practice of year round stewardship.

It’s easy and free to connect with these resources for your congregation. Subscribe to ECF Vital Practices to receive Vestry Papers and this Vital Practices Digest in your inbox each month.

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