in All and filtered by Clergy Transition, Christian Formation, Mission
By Alissa Newton
Can ASA give us an accurate indication of a parish’s health? In How the Pandemic Cured my ASA Obsession, Alissa Newton talks about her fixation with attendance and numbers, and how the pandemic forced her to reframe ‘metrics’ in a new light.
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
The Congregational Vitality Assessment (CVA) tool is designed to provide congregations with an assessment of their Vitality (how healthy they are) and their Sustainability (whether they have the people, financial, and contextual resources necessary to survive). The CVA is made available free to congregations of all denominations and religions by a partnership between The FaithX Project and the Epi...
By Dean Wolfe
The ECF Board of Directors gathered at St. Bartholomews in NYC on November 12, 2021. During a Eucharist service that day, the Rt. Rev. Dean Wolfe delivered this sermon reminding everyone why they should be Episcopalians.
By Donald Romanik
Earlier this year, our Board of Directors adopted the “ECF Compass” – a rearticulation of our Purpose, Mission and Vision. This document also highlights who we are, what we do and how we do it. In addition to describing ourselves as Episcopal, Independent and Lay-led, we also state that ECF is inclusive, i.e, “we are anti-racist and committed to social justice, equity, diversity and inclus...
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.