in Vestry Papers and filtered by Capital Campaigns, Worship, Outreach + 6 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 Nancy Jacobs
In Church By The Pond, Nancy Jacobs describes how the people of Christ Church Cathedral realized their dream of bringing church to the park, a dream that was strengthened through the pandemic as the community continued to gather united in prayer.
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 ECFVP Team
ECF360 is a new low-cost self-service subscription site for comprehensive fundraising for your Episcopal community of faith, brought to you by the Episcopal Church Foundation. Access resources on stewardship and annual giving, capital campaigns, planned giving and more.
By Lauren Grubaugh Thomas
What does it look like to be present and open to our God’s calling, even when the world around us continues to be overwhelmingly turbulent? In Here Am I, Lauren Grubaugh Thomas shares a deeply personal reflection on expectant motherhood, hope and joy this Advent season.
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 Philip DeVaul and Max Firesheets
When Max Firesheets decided to change their name, the people of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Cincinnati, Ohio, came together in solidarity and faithfulness. In the video Bold, Magnificent and True, Max Firesheets, in conversation with Philip DeVaul, describes their journey from uncertainty to joy.
By Charis Bhagianathan
In this issue, our authors remind us that even when we are weary, we only have to ask to receive joy and our God’s abundant, endless love – often in surprising ways.