filtered by Mission
By Charis Bhagianathan
This issue (and our previous one) celebrate the incredible leadership and ministry from ECF Fellows. Since 1964, the Episcopal Church Foundation has supported over 200 scholars and ministry leaders throughout The Episcopal Church, fostering innovation in theological formation and ministerial leadership in challenging times.
By ECFVP editorial team
In Lucinda Mosher and Building Bridges, the ECFVP editorial team describes ECF Fellow Lucinda Mosher’s (ThD, General Theological Seminary) journey that begins during her dissertation work which addressed fostering dialogue between Muslim and Christians through the lens of comparative theology. Dr. Mosher is a prolific writer on Christian-Muslim work, exemplified in the annual Building Bridges seminary which brings together Christian and Muslim scholars at Georgetown University. While Dr. Mosher’s extensive publications speak to her skills as a researcher and scholar, her ECF Fellowship made those early scholar days easier. Dr Mosher says, “According to recent research, during the many decades that General Seminary offered a Doctor of Theology degree, the overwhelming majority of those who earned it were men; only eight women completed that program. I am one of those eight. Having the support of the ECF was such an important part of attaining that goal!”
By Charis Bhagianathan
In parking lots and picnic grounds. By rivers and along the mountainside. On TikTok and the Metaverse. Church is happening all around us, and we are discovering new spaces in which to praise, to pray and to build Christ’s community. In this issue, hear from people doing profound and deeply inspiring work in non-traditional church settings, creating meaningful relationships through powerful ministry.
By Charis Bhagianathan
Editors letter for Vestry Papers issue May 2022 Beyond the Pews.
By Nancy Jacobs
Este feligresia practica su ministerio en Bushnell Park para la gente de Hartford, Connecticut.
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 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 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 Episcopal Church Foundation. Access this groundbreaking Congregational Vitality Assessment Tool to gain insights into your congregation.
By ECFVP Team
An Asset-based Approach to Engaging Church and Community is a process for engaging church and community centered around the belief that individuals, groups, and communities have the gifts to address the needs they see around them. Explore the resource and free training modules to equip congregations and mobilize assets in your communities and neighborhoods.
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