in Vestry Papers
By Donald Romanik
I am fascinated by the Orthodox Church. Orthodox Christians know who they are, know what they believe, and know what they need to do to be faithful members of their local church. Orthodox theology, liturgy and practice are rooted in the Creeds and the historic ecumenical councils of the church. Unlike other Christian expressions, these basic elements of the faith are considered universal and timeless and are not subject to modification through the chances and changes of denominational governing bodies.
By Kate Adams
As we start the season of Lent, we enter a period of reflection about our relationship with God and his creation. As so much of Jesus’ ministry focused on healing, we shift our focus to Creation Care for this issue of Vestry Papers. In ECF’s newly adopted Innovation 2022: A Road Map for ECF, we see our responsibility as caretakers of God’s creation. During this Lenten season, how are you called to care for creation individually and in community? We welcome your stories and offer the following innovative ideas to make a difference.
By Haley Bankey
There are many places and ways of meeting God on our Christian journey other than our church buildings. In Holy Hikes and Thin Spaces, Haley Bankey shares how she encountered God in a lush evergreen forest – a thin space, where heaven and earth converged. She inspires us to get out into the world and experience God through Holy Hikes and the Wild Church Network.
By ECFVP Editorial Team
To help you get started on reducing the impact of climate change, the ECFVP Team offers five practical tools and resources from around the church in Make a Start on Creation Care. They offer a variety of ways that individuals, households, congregations, institutions and dioceses can take active first steps toward living more gently on the earth.
By Francisco José Duque Gómez
In Climate Change, Biodiversity and Indigenous Peoples, the Rt. Rev. Francisco Duque Gomez, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese in Colombia, shares the science that describes the profound threat these interrelated issues bring to God’s creation. Raising public awareness of the effects of global warming, the loss of biodiversity and the failure to recognize the rights of indigenous peoples over their environment are critical to influencing governmental policies that can sustain our life on this planet. This article is available in English and Spanish.
By Audra Abt
The Rev. Audra Abt, vicar of Church of the Holy Spirit in Greensboro, North Carolina, views caring for God’s creation as a ministry, not a program or activity. In Creation Care and Community Engagement, she shares ways her parishioners nurtured their relationships with their land and their neighbors. They started by asking the community how their church might be a place where creation care is experienced and taught, and from that beginning, innovative, community-based partnerships were formed.
By ECFVP Team
Since 1964 the Episcopal Church Foundation has supported more than two hundred scholars and ministry leaders throughout the Episcopal Church, fostering innovation in theological formation and ministerial leadership in challenging times. In Resources from ECF Fellows, we highlight several transformative resources from past ECF Fellows to support your ministry.
By Ken Howard
Interested in exploring missional opportunities in your church neighborhood? In Neighborhood Missional Intelligence Report, Ken Howard lists two data-rich resources that allow you to glean insights into the communities around you and help you to serve them more effectively.
By Haley Bankey
Have you considered how being a part of a network of like-minded individuals with similar interests may open you to new ideas and strengthen your ministry? In Gathering of Leaders – Power of Networks, Haley Bankey shares the purpose of Gathering of Leaders and points to other networks in the Episcopal Church for you to consider.
Save Search