in Vestry Papers and filtered by Hospitality, Advocacy
By David Rice and Anna Carmichael
What does it look like when a diocese decides to take hospitality seriously? In Taking Church out Into the Community, Bishop David Rice and Anna Carmichael share their experience of focusing on community, outreach and welcome and what it means to begin to see the face of Jesus in “the other.”
By Sandra Montes
What makes a church welcoming to a first-time visitor? In Ten Signs of a Welcoming Congregation, Sandra Montes provides ideas from her travels to various churches across the country, listing qualities she found to be common in parishes that make visitors feel at home and truly welcome. This article is available in English and Spanish.
By Jamie Martin Currie
Is your parish a place where children are welcome? In Let the Children Come to Me, Jamie Martin Currie explains why it is important to provide intentional hospitality to children, and describes how paying attention to the needs of both parents and children can make the church the vibrant and welcoming place it should be.
By Sarah Barton
As we strive to serve all our neighbors in the love of Christ, upholding the dignity of every human being, may our lives be blessed by people with IDD as we together affirm boldly and faithfully: “I will, with God’s help!”
By Nancy Frausto
Nancy Frausto describes how this type of church perseveres against all odds because of people who are fiercely passionate about their church and neighborhood.
By David Paulsen; Introduction by Nancy Davidge
In 2012, neighbors believed the church was closed. It wasn’t. Four years later, there are visible signs of life at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. “Peace Garden” by David Paulsen, with an introduction by Nancy Davidge, tells the story of St. Alban’s most visible ministry, one that is causing the phone to ring and people to stop in.
By Nancy Davidge
La Pascua trae consigo una invitación para explorar nueva vida y resurrección en nuestras vidas, nuestras feligresías y comunidades, así como en el mundo del que somos parte. Mi diócesis – Massachusetts – nos invita a explorar y actuar sobre la vida y la resurrección de Jesús “Respondiendo al llamado urgente de Dios. Juntos”.
¿Qué pasa, sin embargo, cuando a uno le está costand...
By Nathan Davis
Después de meses de temperaturas bajo cero y de semanas llenas de anticipación, la primavera por fin ha llegado a Chicago. Como nativo de Carolina del Norte, estoy más que listo para disfrutar el tiempo cálido… y la oportunidad de volver a cultivar el huerto de nuestra iglesia.
By Nancy Davidge
A question from a senior warden looking for advice on ways to engage with her suburban community sparked the idea for “Answering God’s Urgent Call. Together.” What processes are congregational leaders using to help them learn how to listen for what God is calling them to do in their community and how might we all become better at listening for and seeing those things that might not be easily...
By Jacqueline J. Whitfield
Jackie Whitfield says it was the hand of God that brought us together at Kanuga: She was finishing her icon workshop as I was arriving for the Church Leadership conference. In “God Called. We’ve Got Work to Do.” Jackie shares the series of ‘God moments’ that led to All Saints Episcopal Church in Concord, North Carolina help alleviate a much-too-long waiting list for public preschool by...
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