Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Vestry members are the guardians of four major aspects of a faith community’s life:

The assets – The vestry members are fiduciaries, who have responsibility for all the assets: real property, the buildings, the “holy hardware” and equipment, paid and unpaid staff, the church’s reputation and story, earned and inherited good will. Some of the “assets” questions the vestry might want to consider:

• Should we have an endowment?
• How much insurance do we need?
• Is our Safeguarding God’s Children training up to date?
• Do we maintain bonding on the appropriate people?
• How does our community learn about us and our story?
• What’s our role in this community?
• Others?

The flock – The vestry members’ work helps safeguard the people connected with the church as they grow and learn to live the promises of the baptismal covenant. The vestry offers spiritual leadership, often by example, especially in regard to the temporal. Some of the “flock” questions the vestry might want to consider:

• How are we forming people to live the baptismal covenant in their daily lives?
• How do our liturgies serve the needs of the people, inside the church and beyond?
• How can we improve Christian formation for both children and adults?
• Creating a culture of giving: How are we forming stewards of all we possess – money, the Gospel – and encouraging them to support the mission and work of the church?
• Others?

The guardrails – The faith community looks to the vestry to model living the baptismal covenant. The vestry is responsible for the church being aware of the canons, by-laws, and statutes that apply; the ecclesiastical structures and reporting requirements; the required trainings; the expected norms and traditions. Some of the “guardrails” questions the vestry might want to consider:

• How can we improve our Mutual Ministry Review and ensure we are in line with diocesan guidelines?
• Do we have dual-control money handling procedures in place? What do we need to improve?
• How are we holding one another accountable?
• What is our process for ensuring our diocesan representatives are well-chosen and well-supported?
• What are our plans for helping our leaders grow spiritually?
• How are we building a life-giving relationship with the diocese?
• Others?

The bridges – The vestry – as a body and as individuals – help create connections among the clergy and laity; between the church and the surrounding community; among the leaders; between the faith community and the diocese; in the transition times. Some of the “bridges” questions the vestry might want to consider:

• How are we building relationships with city/county officials, school leaders, business leaders, etc.?
• How can we partner with the clergy to empower more lay people to lead?
• How well do we know our neighborhood and our closest neighbors?
• How do we help the altar guild and the choir (for example) get along better?
• How can we improve communication inside the faith community and beyond?
• How are we intentionally developing new leaders? Others?

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