in Vestry Papers and filtered by Clergy Transition, Buildings and Grounds, Christian Formation + 4 other(s)
By Janet Waggoner
How do congregations who lose their buildings and possessions refocus on what truly makes “church”? In Church Without Walls, Janet Waggoner shares the story of the Episcopal Church in North Texas, where its people have not just continued doing God’s work in the face of material loss, but have poured even more into their communities, never failing in love and faithfulness.
By Charis Bhagianathan
In this issue, we highlight traditional tools, as well as relationship-building and partnership-focused ideas to consider that will enrich our learning and service to our Church.
By Beth Wyndham
What does it mean to be centered in joy? Are you searching for a way to engage your church leadership in reflection on their joy and gratitude as a community? In her vlog, A Pandemic Church Plant Inspires Joy, Beth Wyndham invites us to consider where the Holy Spirit may be calling our faith communities to seek joy.
By Kathy Culmer
In The Joy and Gratitude Within, Kathy Culmer shares wisdom through words and video about the ways gifts like joy from our God may not always look like what we’re expecting, and how we often find them in unexpected places and spaces when we most need them.
By Anthony Rodríguez
Eran las ocho de la mañana, lo que significaba que era hora de despertar e ir a la iglesia. Mientras que me ponía mi bonita camisa de vestir y pantalones negros, le pregunté a mi mamá si ella iba a enseñar la clase de la escuela dominical. Lamentablemente, respondió que no. Inmediatamente me puse a la defensiva y le dije que no quería ir a clase si ni ella ni mi hermana estarían enseñánd...
By Hipólito Fernández Reina
Crecí en una familia de fe. Mi padre fue sacerdote católico durante 12 años, en los años 60, antes de tener la suerte de conocer a mi madre y casarse. Como buenos latinos, siempre vivimos con mucha gente en nuestra casa. Todos éramos como una familia. Por ello, desde pequeño pude ver y sentir la unidad familiar como un valor central en mi vida.
By Angela Gutierrez Castillo
There are times when only family is able to help us keep moving forward. In My Family, My Motivation, Angela Gutierrez Castillo talks about the importance of family – not only the family you’re born into but the family you make along the way – to motivate her and to help her to overcome struggles and reach important life goals. Her family has inspired her to work hard and be dedicated.
By Aisha Huertas
How can small churches operate from a mindset of abundance? In Beyond the Numbers, Aisha Huertas shares examples and lists practical ways in which small churches have massive positive impact in the communities around them.
By Robert Leopold
COVID-19 has unforgivingly exposed a challenging vision of the future of our church. In Tension and Release in the Church, Robert Leopold uses the analogy of a “wrist rocket” from the Netflix series Stranger Things and shares how being called to “wade into the tension of our times” might be the pandemic’s hidden gift.
By Dexter Lesieur
Being a small church, doesn’t mean only small things are possible. Quite the contrary, as Dexter Lesieur lists in Inspiration from a Small Congregation, the incredible work his church of 16 has been able to accomplish with enthusiasm, courage and the power of the Holy Spirit.
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