Leading Change...RpA&sig2=rctHfTISIJMSUpUaJV NS6w&bvm=bv.69620078,d. aWw “Cultivating Communities...

JULY/AUGUST 2014 :: LEADING CHANGE :: www.ecfvp.org

Leading Change

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IN THIS ISSUE:

No Saints, No Heros, No Martyrs

Vision for Impact, Not Just Change

Are You Leading A Zombie Parish?

Red Flags: Staff Dependent Churches

No Saints, No Heros, No MartyrsBY CHAS BELKNAP, MICHAEL BUTLER, JANE MORLEY, AND JUDITH REES THOMASIt was Lent 2013; Robert’s Rules of Order had worked its peniten-tial magic. A three-hour meeting had been reduced to three argu-ing voices (mine included). The quiet ones stared at the floor wishing they were home doing their taxes or cleaning their gut-ters. At the end of the meeting I feared that I was seeing some of their faces for the last time. The quiet were ready to quit the parish council (“vestry” in the States), leave the church, retreat in anger. I ran to the parking lot to intercept the exodus. I prom-ised, in my most authoritative clerical voice, “It is not going to happen again!” They could read my begging subtext: “Don’t leave!” I am sure that they also knew that I was not fully confi-dent that I could fulfill my prom-ise. They had seen many meet-ings like this one. They had seen five incumbents (rectors) in five years; change was elusive.

But change can happen: At our last council meeting, in Easter 2014, we met for six hours and left feeling energized. The council (we want the council - not the clergy – to speak for the congre-gation) had crafted a letter to the bishop that read in part: “You will have picked up our enthusiasm. We have experienced a sense of the Holy Spirit working through us and with us, and the experience has left us personally exhilarated.” Ours is a congregation that is more Canadian than charis-matic in temperament; in what ways has the Holy Spirit worked through us?

In 2010 the Parish of the Penders and Saturna Islands had three congregations on three small islands. The largest island, North Pender, has a year-round popula-tion of about 2,500; the smallest, Saturna about 350. Our parish, now about 45 families, has been in obvious decline for over ten

JULY/AUGUST 2014 :: LEADING CHANGE :: www.ecfvp.orgPAGE 2

years. Decline created anxiet-ies that played out, mostly in the North Pender congregation, in conflicts over liturgy, financial control, and clergy. At one point the wardens and council asked the bishop to remove the incumbent. Her successor was let go after six months because of budgetary problems. Four years ago I was asked to serve as supply for the summer. By then the parish lead-ers, many of who were in their late 70s and 80s, were tired. The congregation on South Pender, exhausted, volunteered to attend the services on North Pender and close their beloved chapel. Reluctantly our parish leader-ship agreed if the parish was to survive there had to be change. Acceptance of the need to change did not make the older leaders any less anxious.

For three years we had been feel-ing our way through a transition. We had held retreats and cottage meetings. We had already read about affirmative inquiry, com-munities of practice and parish renewal. The catastrophic meeting of Lent 2013 became a catalyst for the change. We needed to put into play the things that we had already discovered:

1) Collective Leadership can work well: We seek to fashion every area of activity, includ-ing the parish council, as teams

that are loosely modeled as “Communities of Practice.” (Well summarized in Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge Archive, “Cultivating Communities of Practice.”. We use teams, not wardens or execu-tive style clergy. We have adopt-ed a few phrases that capture our approach to parish management: a) No heroes, no saints, no mar-tyrs; b) If it is not fun, quit; and c) If you can’t find someone to work with you, quit. We call our teams “tag teams” because leadership can jump in / jump out depend-ing on the situation or personal schedules.

2) Appreciative Inquiry / with organizational journaling: We have not focused on parish histo-ry or tried to fix the many short-comings of the parish. Rather, we have tried to identify those things that are working well. We keep a running internal commen-tary. First it was through e-mail, now we have a blog. We write commentary on our services, and on our events. We have found at council that we need two types of minutes: one, the typical min-utes necessary to record official actions; the second, a narrative of the essence of the genera-tive aspects of our conversation. Journaling allows us to identify what is working and is a mecha-nism for incorporating insight into our practices.

3) Governance as Leadership Model - Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards: Using materi-als from Centre Point in Calgary, an organization that advances nonprofit board management, we have paid attention to our need for “generative conversation” or what they call “board thinking leading to organizational robust-ness – sense making.” Before any parish council meeting several council members get together to ask, “What is the question here?” or “What is truly important?” and design an agenda that makes sure that there is quality time to address the generative issues. We have yet to have a name for what could be called a steering com-mittee or generative team, in the course of council deliberations the identification of the team membership emerges naturally.

4) Talking Stick: We had used the talking stick in retreats as a tool to listen to each other’s stories now the talking stick replaced Robert’s Rules when-ever the conversation gets hot or we need to dig deeper.

If I were washed up on a desert island and could pick only one of the four factors listed above I would pick the talking stick. I was skeptical about the stick - I just went along with the practice at first; now I am a believer - I


am ready to proclaim the talking stick process a holy sacrament. A stick circle turns debate into dia-logue and dialogue into discern-ment. The talking stick engages wisdom, knowledge, and experi-ence already resident in our con-gregation. First there is the quiet as everyone sits, then, as neces-sary the process is described and a question asked. If you hold the stick you are licensed to speak without interruption. When you are finished you either pass the stick to the person next to you or put the stick on a center table so another can use it when moved by the Spirit. The follow-ing speakers speak to the ques-tion rather than argue with the previous speakers. The quieter folk will find their voice. In gen-eral participants are attentive and calm. If one person excit-edly interrupts, another will emerge as a keeper of the circle to encourage us to have patience with the process.

The talking stick process is egali-tarian, safe, and fair. As Judy, a council member says, “the talk-ing stick not only enables each to speak their ideas but, with the silence of everyone else, it adds the feeling of worthiness and respect to the speaker, in that each of the others are listening constructively.” As we are a small congregation we have even begun to use the talking stick liturgically

combining the talking stick with Lectio Divina.

Traditionally Anglican/Episcopal churches have relied on heroic leadership. Heroic priests, heroic wardens, heroic volunteers. We have tried to manage by exhorta-tion and moral suasion. As par-ishes get smaller the heroes, lay and ordained, become exhausted and defensive. Our congregations become discouraged; our com-munities sour. Parishes with part-time or no clerical leadership cre-ate frightful burdens on wardens.

A collective leadership model dis-courages heroism. A community, by using the talking stick and by focusing on generative issues, becomes engaged in discernment. Such engagement is energizing and spirit filled.

About the authors: This article, although written in the first person is a collaborative effort. The docu-ment has been vetted by the parish council, listed here are members of what we call the Generative Team: Chas Belknap is a priest from Los Angeles, retired to Salt Spring Island in British Columbia and serves part time at the Parish of Pender and Saturna Islands. He fancies himself a community organizer. Jane Morley is a law-yer/mediator with a background with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Canada. Judith Rees

Thomas has an MDiv, a back-ground with the United Church, and is a spiritual director. Michael Butler, a member of both our Anglican church and a United Church parish in Vancouver, is a lawyer and was involved at many levels with the Canadian Federal Government. You can find more information about The Parish of Pender and Saturna Islands by checking out PenderandSaturna.org. We are drafting a Parish Operation Manual and invite the reader to make suggestions and contributions.

Try This

Are their voices in your congrega-tion that may be silenced because they never get the opportunity to speak? If you find that certain voices dominate every discussion, adopting the practice of using the talking stick (or rock or other object easily seen and held) will make space for others to add their voices to the conversation or dis-cussion.

Resources

Appreciative Inquiry, Clergy Leadership Institute http://www.clergyleadership.com/appreciative-inquiry/apprecia-tive-inquiry.cfm


“Board Governance as Leadership Summary,” Based on work by Chait, Ryan, & Taylor, from Centre Point, Calgary Centre for Nonprofit Management http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sparc.bc.ca%2Fresources-and-publications%2Fdoc%2F386-board-governance-as-leader-ship-summary.pdf&ei=j9mpU_vNH4KbyATPyYB4&usg=AFQjCNHhNJygqBP8ZYYtlVGIfhNdxz6RpA&sig2=rctHfTISIJMSUpUaJVNS6w&bvm=bv.69620078,d.aWw

“Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge – Seven Principles for Cultivating Communities of Practice,” Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge Archive http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html

Leadership in the Age of Complexity: From Hero to Host by Margaret Wheatley with Debbie Frieze, Resurgence Magazine, Winter 2011 http://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/Leadership-in-Age-of-Complexity.pdf

Lectio Divina http://en.wikipe-dia.org/wiki/Lectio_Divina

The Parish of Pender and Saturna Islands http://stpeter-stchristopher.wordpress.com/page/2/

St. Christopher’s Church, Saturna Island http://www.sat-urnacan.net/PageFiles/Churches.html


Era la Cuaresma de 2013; las Reglas de Orden de Robert habían realizado su magia penitencial. Una reunión de tres horas de duración había sido reducida a tres voces que dis-cutían entre sí (la mía era una de ellas). Los más silenciosos miraban al piso deseando estar en su casa llenando su planilla de impuestos o limpiando las canaletas. Al final de la reunión temí que estaba viendo algunas de las caras de los participantes por última vez. Los más callados estaban listos para renunciar a sus puestos en la junta parro-quial, irse de la iglesia y empren-der la retirada indignados. Corrí hacia el parqueo para interceptar el éxodo. Prometí, en mi voz sac-erdotal más autoritaria, que no volvería a ocurrir. Podían perci-bir lo que estaba rogando entre líneas: “¡No se vayan!” No me cabe duda de que también sos-pechaban que no estaba seguro de que podría cumplir mi prome-sa. Habían visto muchas reunio-nes similares. Habían visto cinco rectores en cinco años y estaban persuadidos de que el cambio era poco probable.

Pero el cambio puede ocurrir. En

nuestra última reunión del con-sejo, en la Pascua de 2014, nos reunimos por seis horas y sali-mos llenos de energía. El consejo (queremos que el consejo, no el sacerdocio, hable en nombre de la feligresía) había escrito una carta para enviársela al obispo que decía en parte: “Seguramente Ud. notó nuestro entusiasmo. Hemos sentido el Espíritu Santo trabajando mediante y con nosotros y la experiencia nos ha dejado personalmente llenos de júbilo.” La nuestra es una feligre-sía con un temperamento más canadiense que carismático; ¿de qué maneras trabajó el Espíritu Santo mediante nosotros?

En 2010, la parroquia de las islas Penders y Saturna tenía tres feligresías en tres islas peque-ñas. La isla más grande, North Pender, tiene aproximadamente 2.500 habitantes permanentes. La más pequeña, Saturna, tiene unos 350 habitantes. Nuestra parroquia, que ahora cuenta con unas 45 familias, ha estado decayendo significativamente por más de 10 años. El declive creó desasosiegos que se mani-festaron principalmente en la feligresía de North Pender, espe-

cialmente en conflictos por la liturgia, el control financiero y el sacerdocio. En un determinado momento los coadjutores y el consejo le pidieron al obispo que quitara a la titular. Su sucesor se tuvo que ir a los seis meses a causa de problemas presu-puestarios. Hace cuatro años me pidieron que sirviera como suplente durante el verano. En ese entonces los líderes de la parroquia eran septuagenarios y octogenarios y estaban agotados. La feligresía de South Pender, exhausta, ofreció asistir a servi-cios religiosos en North Pender y cerrar su bienamada capilla. El liderazgo de nuestra parroquia aceptó a regañadientes , por con-siderarlo necesario para nuestra supervivencia. La aceptación de la necesidad de cambio no calmó el desasosiego de los líderes de mayor edad.

Por tres años hemos estado tan-teando nuestro camino hacia una transición. Hemos tenido retiros y reuniones en hogares. Ya habíamos leído sobre la inda-gación afirmativa y la renovación de las parroquias. La catastrófica reunión de Pascua 2013 fue una verdadera catalizadora del

Ni Santos, Ni Héroes, Ni Mártires POR BY CHAS BELKNAP, MICHAEL BUTLER, JANE MORLEY, AND JUDITH REES THOMAS


cambio. Necesitábamos aplicar las cosas que ya habíamos descu-bierto:

1) El liderazgo colec-tivo puede funcionar bien: Tratamos de diseñar todas las áreas de actividad, incluy-endo el consejo parroquial, como equipos diseñados aproximadamente como las “Comunidades de Práctica” (bien resumidas en el Archivo Working Knowledge de la Escuela de Administración de Empresas de Harvard titulado “Cultivating Communities of Practice.” Empleamos equipos, no coadjutores ni sacerdotes de tipo ejecutivo. Hemos adoptado varias frases que captan nuestra manera de abordar el manejo de la par-roquia: a) Ni héroes, ni san-tos, ni mártires; b) Si no es divertido, renuncie y c) Si no puede encontrar a alguien que trabaje con usted, renuncie. Decimos que los nuestros son “equipos móviles”, porque el liderazgo puede entrar o salir en cualquier momento, depen-diendo de la situación o de sus compromisos personales.

2) Indagar con apreci-ación y registrar en diario: No nos hemos concentrado en la historia de la parroquia ni en tratar de arreglar sus numerosos puntos flacos. En

lugar de ello hemos inten-tado identificar las cosas que están funcionando bien. Mantenemos un comentario constante. Al principio era por correo electrónico, pero ahora tenemos un blog. Escribimos un comentario sobre nuestros servicios y eventos. Los miembros del consejo deter-minamos que necesitamos dos tipos de actas: la primera, las típicas actas necesarias para documentar actos oficiales; la segunda, una narrativa de la esencia de los aspectos generativos de nuestra conv-ersación. Registrar en diario nos permite identificar lo que está funcionando y es un mecanismo para incorporar conocimientos adquiridos en la práctica a nuestras activi-dades.

3) Gobernanza como mod-elo de liderazgo – volver a enmarcar el trabajo de los juntas de entidades sin ánimo de lucro: Empleando materiales en del Centre Point en Calgary -- una organización dedicada al mejoramiento de la gestión de las juntas direc-tivas de las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro --, hemos prestado atención a nuestra necesidad de mantener una “conversación generativa” o lo que llaman “pensamiento de la junta que conduce al forta-

lecimiento de la organización y que tiene sentido”. Antes de todas las reuniones del conse-jo parroquial, varios miembros del consejo se reúnen para preguntar, “¿Cuál es la pre-gunta aquí?” o “¿Qué es real-mente importante?” y diseñar una agenda que asegure que haya tiempo de calidad para abordar los temas generati-vos. Todavía no tenemos un nombre para lo que se podría llamar un comité directivo o un equipo generativo, pero en el curso de las deliberaciones del consejo la identificación de los miembros del comité surge naturalmente.

4) El palo de la palabra: Hemos empleado el palo de la palabra en retiros como una herramienta para oír historias sobre la manera en que el palo de la palabra remplazó las Reglas de Robert cuando las conversaciones se acaloran o necesitamos profundizar más.

Si fuéramos náufragos en una isla desierta y tuviéra-mos que elegir sólo uno de los cuatro factores que anteceden, yo elegiría el palo de la pal-abra. Al principio no confiaba mucho en el palo, pero ahora soy creyente y estoy listo para proclamar el palo de la palabra como un sacramento sagrado. Un círculo que


emplea el palo de la pal-abra convierte el debate en un diálogo y el diálogo en discernimiento. El palo de la palabra activa la sabiduría, los conocimientos y la experi-encia que ya están presentes en nuestra feligresía. Primero está el silencio cuando todos se van sentando y después, en la medida en que es necesa-rio, se describe el proceso y se hace una pregunta. El que tiene el palo tiene permiso para hablar sin interrupción. Cuando termina se lo pasa a la persona que tiene al lado o lo pone en una mesa en el centro para que otro lo pueda usar cuando lo mueva el Espíritu. Los próximos oradores hablan sobre la pregunta, en lugar de discutir con los oradores anteriores. Hasta los más cal-lados encuentran su voz. En general los participantes son atentos y calmos. Si alguien interrumpe excitadamente, otro surge como el cuidador del círculo para estimularnos a que seamos pacientes con el proceso.

El proceso del palo de la palabra es igualitario, seguro y justo. Como dice la concejal Judy, “el palo de la palabra no sólo permite que todos expresen sus ideas , sino que también, con el silencio de todos los demás, da un sentido

de valor y respeto al orador cuando nota que todos los demás están escuchando con-structivamente”. Como somos una parroquia pequeña hasta hemos empezado a emplear el palo de la palabra litúrgi-camente combinándolo con la Lectio Divina.

Tradicionalmente, las igle-sias anglicanas y episcopales han dependido de liderazgos heroicos: sacerdotes heroicos, coadjutores heroicos, volun-tarios heroicos. Hemos tratado de administrar por exhortación y persuasión moral. A medida que las parroquias se encogen, los héroes, tanto legos como ordenados, se agotan y se ponen a la defensiva. Nuestras feligre-sías se desaniman y nuestras comunidades se agrían. Las par-roquias con liderazgo sacerdotal a tiempo parcial o sin ella crean enormes cargas para los coadju-tores.

Un modelo de liderazgo colec-tivo desanima el heroísmo. Al emplear el palo de la palabra y concentrarse en asuntos genera-tivos, las comunidades entran en un proceso de discernimiento. Esa participación está llena de energía y espiritualidad.

Pruebe esto

¿Es posible que se silencien

voces en su feligresía porque nunca se les da la oportunidad de hablar? Si halla que ciertas voces dominan todas las conver-saciones, adoptar la práctica de emplear el palo de la palabra (o una piedra u otro objeto que se pueda ver y asir fácilmente) crea espacio para que otros añadan sus voces a la conversación o al debate.

Los autores: Si bien este artículo está redactado en la primera per-sona, es un esfuerzo conjunto. El documento ha sido examinado y aprobado por el consejo parroqui-al y los siguientes son los miem-bros de lo que llamamos el Equipo Generativo: Chas Belknap es un sacerdote de Los Angeles jubi-lado de Salt Spring Island en la Columbia Británica que se desem-peña a tiempo parcial en las islas Pender y Saturna. Se describe a sí mismo como un organizador comunitario. Jane Morley es abogada y mediadora con experi-encia en la Comisión de Verdad y Reconciliación de Canadá. Judith Rees Thomas tiene una mae-stría en teología, experiencia en la United Church y es directora espiritual. Michael Butler es miembro de la Iglesia Anglicana y de una parroquia de United Church en Vancouver, es abogado y participó en muchos niveles en el gobierno federal canadiense. Para obtener más información sobre la parroquia de las


islas Pender y Saturna visite PenderandSaturna.org. Estamos redactando un Manual de Operaciones Parroquiales e invi-tamos a nuestros lectores a hacer sugerencias y aportes.

Recursos

Appreciative Inquiry, Clergy Leadership Institute http://www.clergyleadership.com/appreciative-inquiry/apprecia-tive-inquiry.cfm

“Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge – Seven Principles for Cultivating Communities of Practice”, Working Knowledge Archive de la Escuela de Administración de Empresas de Harvard http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html

Leadership in the Age of Complexity: From Hero to Host por Margaret Wheatley con Debbie Frieze, Resurgence Magazine, invierno de 2011 http://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/Leadership-in-Age-of-Complexity.pdf

Modelo de tarjeta “I give elec-tronically” (“Dono electrónica-mente”) http://www.ecfvp.org/yourturn/electronic-giving-card-for-offering-plate/

Lectio Divina http://en.wikipe-

dia.org/wiki/Lectio_Divina

The Parish of Pender and Saturna Islands http://stpeter-stchristopher.wordpress.com/page/2/

St. Christopher’s Church, Saturna Island http://www.sat-urnacan.net/PageFiles/Churches.html


Editor’s LetterWelcome summer! For many con-gregational leaders, the church’s program year has ended provid-ing opportunities to catch our breaths, sort out and through things undone, and take some time off. For many of us, it is also a time for review and reflection and a time to think about changes for the coming program year.

Our July and August Vestry Papers articles all relate to change. Included are the experi-ences of churches of various sizes, including the tiny congregation found on the Penders and Saturna islands in British Columbia as well as contributions from clergy and laity. And, as has become our practice, each article includes a recommended action your con-gregational leadership team might want to try.

Our articles this month include:

“No Saints, No Heros, No Martyrs” by Chas Belknap shares the story of the small parish of Penders and Saturna Islands and how, over the course of a year, their leader-ship team has moved from being tired and anxious to enthusiastic about the way in

which ‘the Holy Spirit is work-ing through us and with us.” Also in Spanish.

When Christ Church in Pensacola began to think about their future, they engaged in a process of strategic thinking. Their goal was to identify their vision and their values, as well as some priorities for strategic action. Linda Buskirk shares their story – and the strategic solutions process – in “A Vision for Impact, Not Just Change.” Also in Spanish.

July feels like the right time for Vestry Papers to share Ken Howard’s “Are You Leading a Zombie Parish?” This ‘tongue firmly in cheek’ piece is Ken’s way of slipping a serious issue past the defenses that often may keep us from some critical self evaluation.

As Christians, we are called to live incarnational lives, acting as Christ’s hands and feet in the world. In “Red Flags: Staff Dependent Churches,” Melissa Rau shares a phenomenon she’s observed in seemingly successful congregations that appears to lead to a decline in

worship attendance.

“Shared Leadership” by Beckett Stokes, describes the experi-ence of several small congrega-tions in the Diocese of Colorado who are growing and thriving as a result of their adoption of the diocese’s model of shared leadership. She also shares some of the resources the dio-cese offers in support of this leadership model.

When the long time rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier, Vermont retired, the congregation had the opportunity to explore differ-ent models of leadership. In “Becoming/Continuing/Expanding,” Nancy Davidge tells the story of this revitalized congregation and how their lay led ‘centers of creativity’ are restoring the church both liter-ally and figuratively.

At Iona-Hope Episcopal Church in Fort Meyers, Florida, the congregation lives into its core values through their practice of small group ministries, impact-ing not only life inside the church but also helping to shape policy in Lee County,


Florida. In “Small Groups, Big Impact,” John Adler shares how his former congregation brings people with similar interests together to bring about real change in the church and the world.

In Tillamook, Oregon, four Christian churches have found new energy by working – and occasionally worshipping – together. Three of these four churches also share a rector. “Pooling Resources” by Nancy Davidge, tells the story of how this somewhat unusual arrangement came about and why it makes perfect sense for this small community in Western Oregon.

At the end of each Vestry Papers article you’ll find a list of the resources mentioned in the article as well as additional infor-mation related to the topic. If you have a resource you’d like to share, please email me with the link or add it to the site using the Your Turn feature. If you’ve a subscriber, click on the Make a Submission button.

Not a subscriber? It’s easy; look for, and click on the Subscribe button in the top right hand cor-ner of the homepage: www.ecfvp.org.

And, please to share this issue of Vestry Papers with others in your congregation, along with an invitation to subscribe to ECF Vital Practices and Vestry Papers. Subscriptions are free; visit ECFVP.org and click on the Subscribe tab on the upper right hand corner of this page. New subscribers are asked to fill out a short registration form to have Vestry Papers and ECF Vital Practices content delivered twice a month to your email inbox.

Faithfully,

Nancy

Nancy Davidge

PS: To make it easier to find the resources offered through ECF Vital Practices, please con-sider adding a link to ECF Vital Practices to your website. Here’s how: Using your websites ‘add a link’ tool, insert our full URL –

http://www.ecfvp.org/.

PPS: Do you live in an area with limited Internet access? If you have a smart phone, consider browsing ECF Vital Practices from your mobile device; the site has been optimized for smart phones which makes it easier to search for content.


If your parish could be personified, which would it be: A missionary or a visionary?

Missionaries are wonderful as they carry out good works and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, when the dis-cussion turns from “mission” to “vision,” sometimes people push back. Missionaries are practical, down-to-earth workers, after all. Visionaries are up in the clouds.

If that’s what you think about vision, I am on a mission to change your mind!

Think of vision as the desired IMPACT of your mission. Understanding what God is call-ing your ministry to accomplish is inspirational and generates ideas and energy for change. Invite your congregation into a discussion about your ministry strengths, and then prayerful discernment about what God has gifted you to do in your part of the Kingdom.

In 2011, Christ Church in Pensacola, Florida, did this, guided by a strategic solutions initiative of the Episcopal Church Foundation. Church leadership facilitated lively

discussions in which parishioners identified ministry strengths. From this, a vision emerged for a diverse and faithful community in which “the openness of Christ Church to welcome and engage all people in a faith journey will continue to grow.”

Such work results in a heightened sense of identity, purpose, and direction for a congregation, or any entity. It requires the commitment of a small leadership group to lead the way. In a church, a steering committee is often comprised of lay, clergy, and staff leaders who engage the entire congregation for input and feedback. If not read-ily identified, an analysis of the needs of the community beyond the church’s door may also be con-ducted.

With mission and identity affirmed, the next step is looking to the future. Prayerful discernment pro-duces a vision statement describing the desired impact of using minis-try strengths to fulfill the mission.

A path to the future begins to emerge, but who knows what opportunities or threats lie around the corner in this fast-paced world?

In order to enable church leader-ship to make strategic decisions anytime, a set of values, called “strategic criteria” is also created. Criterion include the mission and vision statements and ministry strengths, but may also preserve other important aspects of identity such as valuing present location, or an important ministry such as a school or food bank.

The criteria help the congregation understand that while the future may include change, the things that they value the most will come along with them.

To live into its vision, Christ Church identified some priori-ties for strategic action. These goals included developing more robust marketing, determining the best use of some recent prop-erty acquisitions, and providing vital programs to reach youth and families.

With the economy still reeling from the 2008 downturn, Christ Church did not immediately jump into new expenditures to achieve the goals. However, the goals became a guiding force for the vestry, which reviewed

Vision for Impact, Not Just Change BY LINDA BUSKIRK


them annually and worked to strengthen Christ Church’s ability to achieve them.

“The goals were a gift of hope for us. They helped us hold on to what we were called to do. They helped us focus in the midst of keeping above water, so we could say, ‘when the economy turns around, this is where we will go,’” according the Neal Goldsborough, rector of Christ Church Pensacola, who adds that today the church is making progress on each of the strategic priorities.

The everyday work of ministry can be overwhelming… so much to do, so little resources. One of the most valuable aspects of time spent in strategic thinking is that it calls leadership to step away from everyday “missionary” tasks to reflect on God’s abundance and to invite the Holy Spirit to reveal a vision for what can be. In other words, become visionaries!

If you would like more informa-tion on ECF’s Strategic Solutions initiative, please contact Kate Adams, ECF Special Projects Director at 800-697-2858, ext. 6008 or [email protected].

Linda Buskirk is a capital cam-paign and Strategic Solutions con-

sultant for the Episcopal Church Foundation. She brings to ECF diverse experience as a consultant to social-profit agencies, special-izing in board governance and strategic development. Linda has a masters degree in public affairs from Indiana University. She lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she and husband Ron are members of Trinity Episcopal Church. She is a graduate of the Congregational Development Institute of the Diocese of Northern Indiana. Linda serves her parish and diocese in many capacities, including roles in stewardship and communications ministries.

Try This

Try This: Identifying the ministry strengths of your congregation is an important part of the strate-gic thinking process and one that should involve broad participa-tion. Schedule some small group discussions and invite members of the congregation to share a church related experience that is special to them. Question that invite stories include:

• Tell me about a time when you experienced a sense of commu-nity at St. John’s.

• Tell me about a time when St. Anne’s was at its best in repre-senting Christ. What made that possible?

• An apostle means someone who is sent forth. What about your experience at Trinity Church has prepared you to be an apostle in the world today?

Questions can be done in a variety of settings, including a facilitated discussion where people are invit-ed to share their answers at their own tables, and then report their stories to the entire gathering.Or you can post questions on flip chart paper and invite people to write their answers over a period of a few weeks. It is important to record answers so Vestry can then review them and identify trends in the answers that reveal your congregation’s ministry strengths.

Resources

Christ Church Pensacola http://www.christ-church.net and http://www.christ-church.net/about-us

Sharing Faith Dinner http://www.epicenter.org/sharing-faith/

Strategic Solutions Program, Episcopal Church Foundation http://www.ecfvp.org/tools/strategic-solutions/


“The Difference Between Mission and Vision” by Linda Buskirk, ECF Vital Practices, January 13, 2012 http://www.ecfvp.org/posts/the-difference-between-mission-and-vision/

“The End to Business as Usual” by Tom Ehrich, Vestry Papers January 2011 http://www.ecfvp.org/vestrypapers/healthy-practices/the-end-to-business-as-usual/

“Try This at Church: What Do You See?” by Nancy Davidge, Vestry Papers, March 2014 http://www.ecfvp.org/vestry-papers/building-strong-teams/try-this-at-church-what-do-you-see/

Vision and Planning webinar, Episcopal Church Foundation http://www.ecfvp.org/webi-nars/vision-and-planning/


Si su parroquia se pudiera per-sonificar, ¿qué sería, misionera o visionaria?

Los misioneros pueden ser mara-villosos cuando realizan sus tar-eas y diseminan el Evangelio de Jesucristo. Sin embargo, cuando la conversación pasa de “misión” a “visión”, a veces la gente tiende a eludir el tema. Después de todo, los misioneros son trabajadores prácticos, con los pies firmemente en la tierra, mientras que los visionarios andan volando por las nubes.

¡Si eso es lo que usted piensa sobre visión, estoy en una misión para hacerlo cambiar de opinión!

Piense en la visión como el IMPACTO deseado de su misión. Entender lo que Dios está llaman-do a su ministerio a lograr inspira y genera ideas y energía para el cambio. Invite a su feligresía a hablar sobre los puntos fuertes de su ministerio y después a dis-cernir con la ayuda de la oración lo que Dios les ha dado el don de hacer en su parte del Reino.

En 2011, Christ Church en Pensacola, Florida, hizo eso, guia-da por una iniciativa de soluciones estratégicas de la Fundación de la Iglesia Episcopal. El liderazgo de la iglesia facilitó conversaciones animadas en las que los parroqui-anos identificaron puntos fuertes de ministerio. De todo ello surgió una visión para una comunidad diversa y llena de fe en la que “la apertura de Jesucristo para dar la bienvenida y fomentar la partici-pación de toda la gente en una jor-nada de fe seguirá creciendo.”

Esa labor resulta en un mayor sentido de identidad, propósito y dirección para una feligre-sía o cualquier tipo de entidad. Requiere el compromiso de un pequeño grupo de liderazgo para que lidere el paso. En una iglesia, el comité directivo por lo general está formado por líderes del sac-erdocio, legos y del personal que obtienen la participación y los comentarios de toda la feligresía. Si no se identifica fácilmente, es posible que también se requiera realizar un análisis de las necesi-dades de la comunidad más allá de las puertas de la iglesia.

El próximo paso después de haber

afirmado la misión y la identi-dad, es mirar hacia el futuro. El discernimiento asistido por la oración produce un enunciado de visión que describe el impacto deseado de emplear el ministerio para cumplir con la misión.

Empieza a surgir una senda hacia el futuro, pero ¿quién sabe qué oportunidades o amenazas estarán a la vuelta de la esquina en este mundo tan acelerado? Para permitir que el liderazgo de la iglesia tome decisiones estra-tégicas en cualquier momento, también se crea un conjunto de valores llamados “criterios estra-tégicos.” Los criterios incluyen los enunciados de misión y visión y de los puntos fuertes del ministe-rio, pero también pueden preser-var otros aspectos importantes de la identidad, como valorar la ubicación actual o un ministerio importante, como una escuela o un comedor parroquial.

Los criterios ayudan a la feligresía a entender que si bien puede ser que haya cambios en el futuro, las cosas que más valoren irán junto con ellos.

Para vivir su visión, Christ Church

Visión Para Tener Impacto, No Sólo Cambios POR LINDA BUSKIRK


identificó algunas prioridades para la acción estratégica. Algunos de esos objetivos fueron crear un plan de comercialización más robusto, determinar el mejor uso de las propiedades adquiridas recientemente y proporcionar programas vitales para llegar a los jóvenes y a las familias.

Con la economía todavía tambale-ante por el bajón de 2008, Christ Church no realizó nuevos gas-tos para alcanzar sus metas. Sin embargo, las metas se convirtier-on una fuente de orientación para la junta parroquial, que las repasó anualmente y se esforzó en fortal-ecer la habilidad de Christ Church de alcanzarlas.

“Las metas fueron un don de espe-ranza para nosotros. Nos ayuda-ron a mantener lo que estábamos llamados a hacer. Nos ayudaron a concentraros en medio de tratar de mantener la cabeza fuera del agua, para que pudiéramos decir, ‘cuando la economía mejore, es ahí donde nos encaminaremos´,” según Neal Goldsborough, el rec-tor de Christ Church Pensacola, que añade que en la actualidad la iglesia está progresando hacia todas sus prioridades estratégicas.

El trabajo cotidiano de ministerio puede ser abrumador… ¡tanto que hacer, tan pocos recursos! Uno de los aspectos más valiosos del tiempo que se dedica al pensam-

iento estratégico es que requiere que el liderazgo se aparte de las tareas “misioneras” cotidianas para reflexionar en la abundancia de Dios e invitar al Espíritu Santo a que revele una visión de lo que puede ser. En otras palabras, ¡conviértanse en visionarios!

Si le desea obtener más infor-mación sobre la iniciativa Soluciones Estratégicas de la ECF, póngase en contacto con Kate Adams, directora de Proyectos Estratégicos de la ECF, llamando al 800-697-2858, ext. 6008 o en [email protected].

Pruebe esto

Identificar los puntos fuertes de ministerio de su feligresía es una parte importante del proceso de pensamiento estratégico y algo en que debe haber una participación amplia. Programe varias discusio-nes de grupos pequeños e invite a los miembros de la feligresía a que compartan una experiencia relacionada con la iglesia que sea especial para ellos. Algunas de las preguntas que invitan narraciones son:

Cuénteme sobre una vez en que sintió un fuerte sentido de comunidad en St. John’s.

Cuénteme sobre un momento en que St. Anne’s estaba mejor representando a Cristo. ¿Qué

hizo que eso fuera posible?

Un apóstol es alguien a quien se envía al mundo. ¿Qué me puede decir sobre cómo su experiencia en Trinity lo pre-paró para ser un apóstol en el mundo contemporáneo?

Las preguntas se pueden hacer en una variedad de medios, incluy-endo una conversación en que se invita a la gente a que comparta sus respuestas en sus propias mesas y después narre sus his-torias a todo el grupo. O puede poner preguntas en un rotafolios e invitar a la gente a que escriba sus respuestas a lo largo de un período de varias semanas. Es importante dejar constancia de las respuestas, para que la junta parroquia después pueda verlas e identificar las respuestas que rev-elen los puntos fuertes de ministe-rio de la feligresía.

Linda Buskirk es asesora de cam-pañas de capital y de Soluciones Estratégicas de la Fundación de la Iglesia Episcopal (ECF). Trae a la ECF una experiencia diversa como asesora de entidades sin ánimo de lucro, especializada en gobernanza de la junta directiva u desarrollo estratégico. Linda posee una mae-stría en asuntos públicos de la Universidad de Indiana. Vive en Fort Wayne, Indiana, donde ella y su esposo son miembros de TrinityEpiscopal Church. Es graduada del


Instituto de Desarrollo de Feligresías de la Diócesis del Norte de Indiana. Linda ocupa muchos puestos en su parroquia y dióce-sis, incluyendo participación en los ministerios de mayordomía y comunicaciones.

Recursos

Christ Church Pensacola http://www.christ-church.net and http://www.christ-church.net/about-us

Sharing Faith Dinners http://www.epicenter.org/sharing-faith/

Strategic Solutions Program, Fundación de la Iglesia Episcopal http://www.ecfvp.org/tools/strategic-solutions/

“La diferencia entre misión y visión”, por Linda Buskirk, ECF Vital Practices, 13 de enero de 2012 http://www.ecfvp.org/posts/the-difference-between-mission-and-vision/

“The End to Business as Usual”, por Tom Ehrich, Vestry Papers, enero de 2011 http://www.ecfvp.org/vestrypapers/healthy-practices/the-end-to-business-as-usual/

“Pruebe esto en la iglesia: ¿Qué ve?”, por Nancy Davidge, Vestry Papers, marzo de 2014

http://www.ecfvp.org/vestry-papers/building-strong-teams/pruebe-esto-en-la-iglesia-que-ve/

Webinar Vision and Planning, Fundación de la Iglesia Episcopal http://www.ecfvp.org/webinars/vision-and-plan-ning/


Leadership teams are invited to take this ten-item quiz to dis-cover whether your church is undead.

In case you haven’t noticed, zom-bies are becoming more popular these days. Gone are the old-time zombie movies with their slack-jawed, shuffling zombies. Nowadays the undead are appear-ing in zombie action movies, zom-bie romantic comedies, and zombie Bollywood flicks.

Zombies have even made their way into business literature. Companies and non-profit organizations that are operating but not growing have come to be called Zombies, because they are in a state of limbo – not dead, yet not exactly alive either – and because they maintain their undead existence by draining resources away from healthy orga-nizations.

So what about zombie churches? Could there be congregations in which the individual members were alive, but the congregation as a whole was undead, having lost both the desire and the capacity to grow? It’s not just possible but true. By the standard just articu-

lated, a significant portion of our churches (perhaps even a plurality) could be classified as zombies. In fact, churches may be more at risk of becoming zombies than other kinds of organizations, because they can blind themselves to their condition by convincing them-selves that their lack of change and adaptation to new contexts is due to the strength of their traditions. And they can often maintain their undead existence for decades by consuming their own endowments and/or denominational resources that might otherwise go to healthi-er congregations.

Are you leading a zombie church? Take this ten-question quiz and find out…

1. Your typical congregant thinks the purpose of your church is to minister to the con-gregation.

a. True. The typical member of our congregation thinks the pur-pose of the church is to minister to them.

b. Uncertain. I have no idea how the average congregant thinks about the purpose of our church.

c. False. Most members of our congregation believe that our church exists not only to minister to them, but to the community and the world around us.

2. Your church’s growth rate is lower than that of the zip code in which it is located.

a. True. The community in which we are located is growing faster than our congregation.

b. Uncertain. I do not know the growth rate of my congregation or the community.

c. False. Our congregation is growing faster than the surround-ing community.

3. Your congregation’s social-cultural-demographic makeup roughly reflects that of the zip code in which it is located.

a. True. The makeup of our con-gregation is similar to the makeup of the neighborhood.

b. Uncertain. I don’t know how to answer this question.

Are You Leading a Zombie Parish?BY KEN HOWARD


c. False. Our congregation is less diverse than the surrounding community.

4. The makeup of your church’s zip code is changing and your congregation is growing.

a. True. Our neighborhood is in flux and our numbers are grow-ing.

b. Uncertain. I’m not at all sure how the two compare.

c. False. Our neighborhood is changing and numbers are declin-ing as long-time members leave (or die).

5. Your congregation has an endowment.

a. True. Our church has an unre-stricted endowment.

b. True. Our church has a restricted endowment.

c. False. Our church has no endowment.

6. The vestry (or board) has done a demographic study of the church’s zip code in the last five years.

a. True. Our vestry has conduct-ed a demographic study and veri-fied it “on foot.”

b. True. Our vestry has conduct-ed a demographic study but has not verified it.

c. False. Our vestry has not con-ducted a demographic study.

7. The vestry (or board) has asked itself why your church exists at least once in the last three years.

a. True. Yup. I’ve heard that asked…answered, too.

b. Uncertain. I don’t really know.

c. False. I don’t think so. Why would they do that?

8. The vestry (or board) has asked why a ministry or pro-gram exists at least once in the last year.

a. True. Indeed, the vestry regu-larly asks that question.

b. Uncertain. I don’t recall. Maybe it was at one of the Vestry meetings I missed.

c. False. Wow! That would be awkward. I think not.

9. The vestry (or board) has purposefully allowed at least one program or ministry to end and reported to the congrega-tion what they have learned from the experience within the

last three years.

a. True. Yes. I remember when they “retired” the [insert name here] program.

b. Uncertain. I couldn’t tell you.

c. False. Not on my watch!

10. The average active partici-pant in the congregation can describe in one or two sentenc-es the congregation’s vision/mission. a. True. Yes. I hear it every Sunday.

b. Uncertain. I’m not sure.

c. False. Nope. Don’t think I’ve ever heard it spoken. What was that slogan?

Visit ECF Vital Practices at http://www.ecfvp.org/yourturn/are-you-leading-a-zombie-par-ish/ for the scoring guide to this quiz. Okay. You’ve taken the quiz and found out you’re leading a zombie church or a church that’s at risk for becoming undead. What do you do now?

Neither condition is easy to deal with. But stretching our zombie metaphor just a little further, clearly a church that is at risk for


going zombie would be a lot easier to deal with than a church that has already become Undead. After all, a church that is “merely” at risk still has a mind capable of critical thought. But by “defini-tion,” a church that has actually gone zombie no longer has a func-tioning mind and has therefore lost the capacity for independent thought and with that the capacity for self-critical reflection.

If your church is merely at risk of becoming infected with undeadness, you may be able to engage the congregation’s critical faculties by having the members of your vestry or board take the same quiz you just did, then engaging them in a discus-sion of what they make of their scores. While the quiz is admit-tedly somewhat tongue-in-cheek, engaging your leadership playfully on issues such as these may gain a lot more traction than a more somber approach. After all, while it may really piss you off first, knowing the truth will ultimately make you free (John 8:32).

Dealing a church that has already joined the ranks of the undead is an infinitely greater challenge. Just as Hollywood zombies do pretty good jobs of emulating many activities of the living, a zombie church can also do a more than halfway-decent job of imitat-ing healthy church life: often good

enough to lure in the occasional non-member, and generally good enough to convince its own lead-ership and membership that a healthy, friendly, welcoming con-gregation. They may have even convinced themselves that they want to grow (but just can’t seem to figure out why they don’t). More often, however, they may be found employing rationalizations like, “Growing in number is not the only kind of growth: grow-ing in depth is valid, too.” Not that there’s anything wrong with growing deeper. It’s just that actu-ally deepening one’s relationship with Christ usually translates into a deeper encounter with Christ’s transforming love, which is usu-ally marked by a natural desire to share that love with others.

When a church becomes so thor-oughly convinced by its own rationalizations that it no longer retains the capacity for self-crit-icism, the only recourse may the proverbial “bullet to the head.” Once in a while, a zombie church, as it grows closer to actual death, may benefit from the salutary effect of staring death in the face. Occasionally, this insight, com-bined with new leadership at the helm, may be capable of begin-ning the long road back to health. I’ve seen it happen, but it is rare. Unfortunately, many zombie churches would rather die than change. And if this is the case, the

only options left are either: (a) let it “live” until it depletes the last of its own (a perhaps other’s) resources of time, talent, and trea-sure, or (b) put it out of its misery now while sufficient resources remain to start a new church or invest in the living in some other way.

Daunting, right? Yet I can offer two rays of hope: Question #7 and a lot of prayer. If you can help your church remember WHY it exists – its reason for being – its first love – the Truth that can make it free – there may be a chance to come back from the brink. And prayer because, as Jesus said, “This kind can come out only through prayer” (Mark 9:29).

Ken Howard is the author of Paradoxy: Creating Christian Community Beyond Us and Them (Orleans, MA: Paraclete Press, 2010), the founder and direc-tor of The Paradoxy Center for Incarnational Christianity at St. Nicholas Church, and the rector of St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Germantown, Maryland. St. Nicholas Church was the first suc-cessful church plant in its diocese in nearly forty years. Growing steadily since its start in 1995, it is in the top third of diocesan con-gregations in size and the top 5% in per capita giving. Ken’s blog, Paradoxical Thoughts may be


found at PracticingParadoxy.com.

Try This

Take the quiz! http://www.ecfvp.org/yourturn/are-you-leading-a-zombie-parish/ I wrote it with tongue firmly in cheek, striving mightily to emulate the elegant Cosmo Quiz style. My intent was to use humor in a healthily subversive way, to slip a serious issue past the defenses we church leaders always seem to have in great quan-tity. I freely admit that this issue is more complex than a 10-question quiz could ever hope to explicate. I mean, it would take another 20 questions just to address the role dioceses and other adjudicato-ries play in the creation, care, and feeding of zombie churches, for heaven’s sake. Still, if I have given you even a little something to think about, I will be content. Even in small doses, critical thinking pre-vents zombie brains.

Resources

“At 30, 50, or 70, who do you want to be?” by Malcolm Boyd, The Episcopal News, June 9, 2014, The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles http://episcopal-news.ladiocese.org/dfc/news-detail_2/3165886#.U6s8DBZD115

“One Step Out of Stuckness” by Jamie Coats, Vestry Papers,

September 2011 http://www.ecfvp.org/vestrypapers/inno-vative-stewardship/one-step-out-of-stuckness/

Paradoxy: Creating Christian Community Beyond Us and Them by Ken Howard http://www.paracletepress.com/para-doxy-creating-christian-com-munity-beyond-us-and-them.html

Practicing Paradoxy, Ken Howard’s blog http://practic-ingparadoxy.com

St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Germantown, Maryland

Zombie Parish Questions and Answer Key http://www.ecfvp.org/yourturn/are-you-leading-a-zombie-parish/


My name is Melissa, and I’m…a lay leader. I’m also married to an Episcopal priest but I’m certainly not the quintessential preacher’s wife. One of the ways I live out my own calling is by working with a number of churches through-out the country (mostly Mainline Protestant churches), helping them establish sustainable ministries by implementing healthy systems and structure. I love my work!

Recently I’ve become bothered by a common theme I’ve encountered among many program-sized and smaller corporate-sized churches (whose average Sunday attendance is between 150-600 people). These are churches that are typically well staffed, with at least one full-time clergyperson and many times two or more. They have either com-pleted a successful capital cam-paign in the last few years despite the downturn of the economy or they are endeavoring upon a new capital campaign. These congrega-tions typically value children’s and youth ministry, their present rector wasn’t right out of seminary when he or she came to serve the church, and the majority of the parishio-ners are well-educated folks who have enjoyed professional success

in the secular world.

What I’m seeing

Many churches across the country, no matter the size, denomination, geographical area, etc., are experi-encing a decline in attendance. I’m sure this is nothing new to you; the rise of the “nones” is something of which many are keenly aware. Ironically, some medium-sized churches are being celebrated for enjoying a surge in member-ship. Numbers are actually up in places—though not all for the right reasons.

Whether the medium-sized church is in decline or enjoying some growth, something that many of these churches have in common is a high level of staff dependency. Sadly, it’s the staff-dependent church that will soon, if they haven’t already, begin to see a rapid decline in worship atten-dance and will begin to see the offering plate reap less and less. Stewardship will be down. Those capital campaigns that were suc-cessful just a few years back? They may not be nearly as successful this go-round.

Why this matters

Consider the story of when Jesus cursed the fruitless fig tree in Mark 11:12-26. Jesus didn’t just have a temper tantrum because he was hungry and there wasn’t any fruit to eat. He probably cursed the tree because it was a waste of space and wasn’t serving its purpose. The variety of fig tree that Jesus approached produces two crops during a harvest cycle: The main crop in August and the breba crop in March/April.

What I’m saying may be unpopu-lar. Those reading the Vestry Papers probably love their church deeply and may not want to admit that their church community isn’t as engaged in God’s mission as God would have it be. But I’m going to say it: In churches where I see an unhealthy level of staff dependen-cy, the hands and feet of Christ are often bound.

Warning signs

Do any of the following sound familiar? If so, it may be time for you to pray for the strength and the endurance to lead the charge to change, to find ways to live into

Red Flags: Staff Dependent Churches BY MELISSA RAU


our baptismal covenant and once again become the hands and feet of Christ:

• “We can’t do that before we get permission from the rec-tor.”

Okay my clergy buddies, this one might hurt a little, but the deal is this: Christ didn’t die to make you the boss. To my lay leader friends, we are the church, together. Your priest is ordained, not to do ministry for you, but to preach and teach the Gospel. He or she was called to sacramental ministry, and that is what makes the order of ministry to the priesthood spe-cial. Consider Matthew 10:24-25.

• “Our job is to help the priest or the program staff do min-istry.”

Our baptismal covenant calls all of us to ministry. Your cler-gyperson and staff should have specific skills and expertise in empowering and equipping YOU, the Church, to help you serve in ways that make your heart sing. They can pave the way, but then they should get out of the way.

• “We should hire someone to do that,” or “That’s why we hired so-and-so…”

Consider your youth minister. Do you pay him or her to care

about the kids? Or did you hire someone because he or she is experienced and has the skills to train and equip others to build relationships with youth? Hopefully it’s the latter because the former would be like say-ing, “Oh, sorry kids, we have to pay someone to care about you because we can’t be bothered, and you’re just not that impor-tant to us.” Harsh? Think about it. All the latest research shows that adult volunteers have the second-highest influence on a youth’s faith, superseded only by parents.

Our purpose, as the body of Christ, isn’t to check our gifts and talents at the door when we go to church. We are to live incarnational lives, acting as Christ’s hands and feet in the world, living sacrificially, sup-porting one another in our faith journey, reflecting God’s light and love to everyone.

Discipleship

The key to living into our baptis-mal covenant is through ministry mobilization. Recently, I was for-tunate to meet Lance Ousley, the canon for stewardship and devel-opment in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia; he refuses to call folks volunteers. Instead he refers to everyone as ministers. He nailed it!

We are all ministers—some are laity, others are deacons, priests, or bishops. Laity need not wait for instruction from clergy on how to minister to others; Jesus has already provided that.

Mobilizing laity who have been disengaged isn’t going to happen overnight. It will take initiative, strategy, and time, in addition to humble clergy and bold lay min-isters. It can be done, and it must be done in order for our beloved communities to be more than fruitless fig trees, but churches filled with an abundance of dis-ciples, committed to living out the Gospel.

Melissa Rau is a lead consultant for Ministry Architects, the nation’s leading provider of children’s min-istry, youth ministry, and small church consulting. She provides coaching and support in order that churches can establish thriving, sustainable ministries.

Melissa has published cur-riculum and numerous online and printed articles for Group Publishing, Simply Youth Ministry, YouthWorker.com, and other min-istry journals. She particularly enjoys training and equipping youth workers at events such as Youth Specialties NYWC, Simply Youth Ministry Conference, and other regional church events.


Melissa’s husband, Mike, is an ordained priest at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in New Canaan, Conn.

Email Melissa at: [email protected]

Try This

Here are three steps and a tip to get you started on increasing opportunities for lay ministry in your congregation:

1. Evaluate where clergy are spending their time and consider ways laity may be able to serve instead.

2. Begin a ministry needs list for your congregation that includes every lay ministry position with-in your church.

3. Create a ministry (job) description for every position outlining the description and responsibilities, team composi-tion, time commitment, special skills required, and what training is provided and required.

4. Keep your eye out for this great new resource coming out in the summer of 2014: The 30-Day Change Project—Building Your Volunteer Team by Mark DeVries and Nate Stratman, ISBN: 9781483528236

Resources

“Baptismal Covenant” by Howard Kently Williams, Vestry Papers, November 2012 http://www.ecfvp.org/vestrypapers/liturgy-music-leadership/bap-tismal-covenant/

Beyond the Baptismal Covenant: Transformational Leadership for the Episcopal Church in the 21st Century by Donald Romanik http://www.episcopalfoundation.org/tools-and-programs/leadership-tools/transformational-lay-leadership

Breba, the bonus fig crop http://www.treesofjoy.com/content/breba-bonus-figs-crop

Leadership Development Initiative, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts http://diomass-leads.org

“Living Into Our Ministries: A Guide to Mutual Ministry Review” by Sam Magill http://www.ecfvp.org/files/uploads/Living_into_Our_Ministries2.pdf

Ministry Architects http://min-istryarchitects.com

“Nones” on the Rise, Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project, October 9, 2012 http://www.pewforum.

org/2012/10/09/nones-on-the-rise/

“Steps to Restructuring” by Richelle Thompson, ECF Vital Practices, June 26, 2014 http://www.ecfvp.org/posts/steps-to-restructuring-2/


Several years ago, the small Episcopal congregation in the town of Creede, population 400, located in the mountainous Southwest corner of the state, lost one of its cornerstone families to death and illness. At the time, Jan Jacobs, a member and lay leader there, feared their church would not sur-vive another ten years. The small church only offered church services twice a month, making it difficult for locals to know when to come, let alone summer tourists and those from neighboring communi-ties. Today, Jacobs is a lay pastoral leader at St. Augustine and works alongside leaders of two other con-gregations who share a full-time clergy person. She helps to lead services when the clergy person is not there – so St. Augustine now has church every Sunday, including a new Celtic service once a month – and their membership is growing.

In many parts of rural Colorado, as in Creede, where congregations and communities are small, cre-ative models for ministry involving lay leadership and shared clergy have been growing and thriving for the last several years. In these com-munities, there are many obstacles to hiring and keeping a full-time

clergy leader – from costs, to avail-able housing, to the size of the con-gregation. However, these are often congregations that while small are vibrant, important parts of the community.

For these congregations, rather than face the expected choices of either expanding the congrega-tion or closing it, the Office of the Bishop, alongside regional lead-ership and the Commission on Ministry in the diocese, have estab-lished a new model for ministry that includes ordained clergy who serve more than one congrega-tion and travel between them, and licensed lay ministers who provide day-to-day leadership and who lead services in between the clergy visits.

Jacobs and St. Augustine in Creede were part of the first such part-nership in Colorado, which was formalized with an addition to the diocesan canons in 2007. This partnership also serves the small mountainous communities of South Fork and Monte Vista. Jacobs says this mode of ministry has been “very, very good” for St. Augustine, and “extremely rewarding” for her personally. St. Augustine’s has not

only survived, it has become more engaged in ecumenical work in the community, and just this past weekend, blessed new stained glass windows in its sanctuary. Thirty-five people came to that blessing, a number Jacobs says was unthink-able ten years ago.

Mary Hendricks serves as rec-tor for one of the diocese’s newer partnerships, made up of two con-gregations 60 miles apart on the eastern plains of Colorado. To add another layer of complexity, one of the congregations is an Episcopal-Lutheran congregation. Hendricks says that the fact that she travels physically between the two places necessitates both that the congre-gations be fairly independent, and that she be clear about what each place really needs from her at any given time. “I do not always know everything that is going on - and they do not know about everything I am doing each and every day,” she says. Moreover, she points out that the time and distance constraints mean “there is also a need for clar-ity on my part regarding what I bring to the two communities I serve and the ways in which I can and do contribute to the ministry that is already taking place within

Shared Leadership BY BECKETT STOKES


the two churches.”

Hendricks says this is a “striking contrast” to previous situations she has served in where people relied on the clergy to get things done. She also says that this degree of lay involvement means that more of her role is about teaching and empowering lay people to take on tasks and roles within the congregation, and also to understand what the healthy and appropriate limits of their ministry area.

In these congregations, lay pas-toral leaders function as the day-to-day leaders and administrators of the congregation. They are licensed through the Office of the Bishop, according to the Canons of both The Episcopal Church, and the diocese. They undergo training with their local priest or partnership vicar, and then through the Office of the Bishop, and finally, in some cases through their own independent reading and study in a variety of areas, from Holy Scripture to liturgy to the polity of the Church. They also receive leadership training and support through the canon missioner for the diocese, Lou Blanchard. It is not a small com-mitment.

But, it is this extensive training and formation that Jacobs says has been so valuable for her per-

sonally. She grew up in another small community in Colorado, where church was just the service on Sunday, without additional teaching or Bible study. “Through all this preparation,” she says, “I have really grown as a Christian.” She says she has learned about her faith, and thought deeply about worship and what makes it meaningful. She has also become more involved with other church-es in Creede, and their work together. “It has been extremely rewarding to me,” she says.

Jacobs also believes that her lead-ership as a layperson has trickled down to the rest of the congrega-tion. “When more lay people are involved,” she says, “Their experi-ence of church expands.”

In these smaller churches, the model and goals for ministry are often different than they are in other church communities. Because these are churches in smaller or remote communities, there is not necessarily an expec-tation or hope for growth, though growth is certainly welcome. The congregation’s role in the commu-nity becomes the focus. In many communities, these congrega-tions share ministry and gather with other faith communities in their areas. Last year one of these smaller partnership churches offered a Lenten series on prayer that was well attended both by

Episcopalians in the community, but also by people from the neigh-boring Catholic and Methodist congregations. That experience led to conversations between all the churches about ways they can continue to collaborate.

One of the other products of these ministry partnerships is that the congregations who share clergy often become more connected to each other than they would other-wise be, and the small congrega-tions have formed other groups and alliances to share ideas about these ministries. Jacobs said that when one of the congregations in their partnership was without a lay pastoral leader, the other two lay leaders pitched in and traveled there when they were needed. Through Blanchard and the Office of the Bishop, the diocese con-venes small church conferences periodically and at different loca-tions around the state so that all the leaders involved in these part-nerships – lay and ordained – can gather to share ideas and stories.

Blanchard in turn shares these stories of creative and resilient ministry with all the congrega-tions she works with around the diocese, so larger congregations can learn about distributing lead-ership, collaborating with other congregations and organizations, and thinking creatively about who and what the church really


is.

Beckett Stokes is the director of communications for the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado.

Try This

Who are the leaders in your con-gregation? Are they confined to a small group or is their broad par-ticipation from the congregation?

This leadership development chart (http://www.ecfvp.org/files/uploads/Leadership_Development_Chart.pdf ) can help you visualize the ratio between leaders/committee members and the broader congregation. After you place the number of members in each ring of the chart, ask your-selves: Who could be invited into a leadership role from one of the outer rings?

Resources

Adaptive Leadership Powerpoint presentation, The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado http://www.dioco.org/congre-gational-development.html

Church Development Institute, The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado http://www.dioco.org/church-development-institue.html

Church Development Institute

Reading List, The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado http://www.ecfvp.org/files/uploads/Dio_Colorado_CDI_Reading_List-1.pdf

Complexity of Leadership Powerpoint presentation, The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado http://www.dioco.org/congre-gational-development.html

Congregational Development Workshops and Conferences, The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado http://www.dioco.org/workshops-and-conferenc-es.html

Leadership Development Chart, The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado http://www.ecfvp.org/files/uploads/Leadership_Development_Chart.pdf

Licensed Lay Ministry Program, The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado http://www.dioco.org/licensed-lay-ministry-in-the-diocese-of-colorado.h

The Warden’s Handbook, Based on spring workshops 2012, The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado http://s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/docu-ments/3159421/Wardens_Handbook.pdf


Even with one of its historic stone walls in danger of fall-ing down, things are looking up at Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier, Vermont.

In February 2004, Christ Church learned it was one of five Vermont Episcopal Churches selected to participate in the Strategic Investment for Sacred Spaces program, a partnership between the Episcopal Church in Vermont, the United Church of Christ in Vermont, Partners for Sacred Spaces, and the Preservation Trust of Vermont. Underwritten in part by The Lilly Endowment, the program will help Christ Church rebuild and renovate their historic and sacred church.

This designation came about, in part, because of the work begun several years ago following the retirement of a rector who had served the congregation for 20 years. Taking advantage of an opportunity to explore differ-ent ways of being a congrega-tion, members of Christ Church moved towards a mutual minis-try model, adopting a leadership style more collaborative than

hierarchical.

What developed during this pro-cess was a call for a new, three quarter time priest. This ‘priest in partnership’ would partner with the vestry to lead the con-gregation with the lay members setting the agenda and leading all vestry meetings.

Defining Their New Approach

Why are we here, where are we going, and how will we get there?

These were the questions con-sidered by the Congregational Life Focus Group at Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier, Vermont. Formed in 2012, soon after the congregation called Paul Habersang as their new priest in partnership, this group – and process – was the result of the congregation’s explora-tion, with diocesan support, of new models of leadership. The Episcopal Church in Vermont, a senior partner of Living Stones, is an advocate for collaborative leadership and in 2012 com-mitted itself to Stirrings of the Spirit, a three-year strategy to discern where the spirit is call-

ing us through exploration of new understandings and expres-sions of what it means to follow Jesus in a rapidly changing world.

For nine months, the nine people in the focus group engaged in an in depth conversation about what it means to be a cathedral in a capital city and to be a good neighbor in their downtown loca-tion. They talked, they listened, they prayed. They gathered their findings and shaped them into a purpose, vision, and strategy statements, which they presented to the vestry in April 2013. The result? The adoption of a purpose, vision, and strategy document that invites the entire congrega-tion to share responsibility for “inviting, empowering, and sup-porting a creative, nimble, and diverse community of seekers who expand and nurture our vibrant life of discipleship.” It also recommits the church to “becom-ing/continuing/expanding” its historic role as a good neighbor in downtown Montpelier.

Rather than being the end of the process, the adoption of this document strengthened and expanded the congregation’s prac-

Becoming/Continuing/ExpandingBY NANCY DAVIDGE


tice of creating flexible ministry teams to address specific issues or concerns. Following a model encouraged by the diocese, these ‘centers of creativity’ bring three to five members of the congrega-tion together to pray, discuss, and recommend action to the ves-try. Groups look to the purpose, vision, and strategy document for guidance and direction.

Testing the Process

In the fall of 2012, Christ Church was invited, along with other Montpelier based state and city offices, businesses, and organiza-tions to consider becoming a part-ner in the city’s alternative source heating district. The buy-in cost? $80,000.

The vestry called a center for creativity group to consider this option and make a recommenda-tion. Looking to their purpose, vision, and strategy document, the group explored and wrestled with this opportunity, weighing the congregation’s commitment to stewardship of God’s creation and their Montpelier community and the critical need to address the $2 million worth of capital expendi-tures needed to stabilize the dete-riorating church building. Their recommendation to the vestry: A regretful, not at this time.

And then the unexpected hap-pened: Christ Church received an anonymous donation of $40,000 specifically given in support of the district heat project. The vestry contacted the Center for Creativity group with this new information and asked them to reconsider.

The result? The group revisited their decision and after conversa-tion and prayer, recognized that this gift allowed the church to be both a good neighbor and a good steward. They recommended the congregation become part of the alternative energy program, using the $40,000 gift and taking on debt, to fund their buy in. The ves-try agreed.

One Thing Leads to Another

A centerpiece of Christ Church’s campus is the courtyard, a swath of green lawn open on the street side. It’s a place where people gather to sit or eat lunch dur-ing the workday or to enjoy the church’s summer Brown Bag Concert series or other outdoor events. Like the rest of the cam-pus, it’s been in need of repair.

Digging up the courtyard to lay the connector pipe from the heat plant to the church was a con-sequence of the church’s deci-sion, moving the renovation of the courtyard from ‘someday’ to

this summer. Again, donors came through with funds and with the generous support of many con-tributors – including some down-town neighbors, Christ Church is able to make some necessary improvements to it’s safety, struc-ture, and appearance.

Paul Habersang and others in the congregation believe that the ‘outward and visible signs’ of their new approach to leader-ship played a key role in their being invited to participate in the Strategic Investment for Sacred Places initiative. While the church itself – a stone building built in 1868 – has serious structural issues, Paul believes that the deci-sion making process used by the congregation in determining their support for both the joint energy program and the courtyard reno-vation, helped Christ Church stand out from other candidates.

A Revitalized Church

Recent testimony by long time church members describes the change at Christ Church.

Longtime member Angela Simpson says, “I love the priest in partnership model. I have loved watching Christ Church revive in the past two years. I love the way you can feel the spirit of the place stretching and changing.”


And, returning member Cynthia Steed offers, “I recently moved back to Barre Town and started to come back to Christ Church. To my delight the new model with Paul Habersang as priest in part-nership was exactly the tonic I needed to feel at home and vital in church again. The Spirit has once again filled me and the feeling in the community seems so much more alive, caring, and vital. A great lesson for all to participate and BE the church as a worship-ping, working, praying, and rejoic-ing member of a lively parish.

“I feel so blessed to be a part of this new awakening.”

Nancy Davidge is the Episcopal Church Foundation’s associate program director for leadership resources and editor of ECF Vital Practices.

Try This

When Christ Church’s Congregational Life Focus Group was tasked with discerning their purpose, vision, and strategy, they relied on Anthony Robinson’s book Changing the Conversation. [http://www.eerdmans.com/Products/0759/changing-the-conversation.aspx]

Robinson’s recommends groups

start by gaining an understanding of the change and challenge the congregation faces. He suggests groups answer what he considers to be the key question: What is the nature of the situation we find ourselves in? Robinson advises groups to avoid falling in the traps of thinking (1) they are the only ones in this situation and (2) that somehow they are to blame. These are both rabbit holes that keep you from getting an accurate picture of the reality you face. Instead, remember God’s promise of resurrection and trust that by recognizing and understanding our challenges, we have a better chance of responding to them.

Resources

“Changes at Christ Church,” The Bridge, August 3, 2013 http://www.montpelierbridge.com/2013/08/changes-at-christ-church/

Changing the Conversation: A Third Way for Congregations by Anthony Robinson, Eerdman’s 2008 http://www.eerdmans.com/Products/0759/changing-the-conversation.aspx

Christ Episcopal Church Purpose, Vision, and Strategy Document http://christchurch-vt.org/about-us/vestry-mem-bers/

Circles of Trust, Parker Palmer, Center for Courage and Renewal http://www.cour-agerenewal.org/approach/ Practices of the Circle of Trust Approach

Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, Stirrings of the Spirit Initative http://www.diovermont.org/Mission-and-Ministries/Stirrings-of-the-Spirit-articles/

Living Stones website http://livingstonespartnership.net/

Mutual Ministry Resources: Scroll to the end of “Time to Bloom: Baptismal/Total/Shared/Mutual Ministry, a Rose by Any Other Name...” by Margaret Babcock, ECF Vital Practices’ Vestry Papers, March 2013

Partners for Sacred Spaces http://www.sacredplaces.org/#sthash.X4G6y9ic.dpbs

Priest-in-Partnership Position Description http://www.ecfvp.org/files/uploads/Priest_in_partnership_description.pdf

Quaker Practice of Clearness Committees http://www.cour-agerenewal.org/parker/writ-ings/clearness-committee/


A pesar de que uno de sus muros históricos está en peligro de der-rumbarse, las cosas están yendo bien en Christ Episcopal Church en Montpelier, Vermont.

En febrero de 2004, Christ Church se enteró de que era una de cinco iglesias episcopales de Vermont seleccionadas para participar en el programa Inversiones Estratégicas Para Espacios Sagrados, una aso-ciación entre la Iglesia Episcopal de Vermont, Partners for Sacred Spaces (Asociados Para Espacios Sagrados) y el Fideicomiso de Preservación de Vermont. Suscrito en parte por The Lilly Endowment, el programa ayudará a Christ Church a reconstruir y restaurar el histórico y sagrado edificio de su iglesia.

Esta designación ocurrió, en parte, gracias a la labor iniciada hace varios años después de la jubilación de un rector que había servido a la feligresía por 20 años. Aprovechando una oportunidad para explorar diferentes maneras de ser una feligresía, miembros de Christ Church dieron los pasos ini-ciales para pasar a ser un modelo de ministerio mutuo, adoptando un estilo de liderazgo más colabora-

tivo que jerárquico.

Lo que surgió durante este proceso fue un llamado a tener un sacer-dote a tres cuartos de tiempo. Ese ‘sacerdote en asociación’ trabajaría conjuntamente con la junta parro-quial para liderar a la feligresía de manera tal que los miembros legos fijarían el orden del día y liderarían todas las reuniones de la junta par-roquial.

Definición de su nuevo enfoque

¿Por qué estamos aquí, adónde vamos y cómo llegaremos allí?

Estas fueron las preguntas que con-sideró el grupo Congregational Life Focus en Christ Episcopal Church en Montpelier, Vermont. Formado en 2012, poco después de que la feligresía designó a Paul Habersang como su nuevo sacerdote en aso-ciación, este grupo – y proceso – resultó de la exploración de la feligresía, con apoyo diocesano, de nuevos modelos de liderazgo. La Iglesia Episcopal de Vermont, una asociada de Living Stones, es una gran defensora del liderazgo colab-orativo. En 2012 se comprometió a Stirrings of the Spirit, una estrate-gia de tres años para discernir

adónde nos está llamado el espíritu mediante la exploración de nuevas comprensiones y expresiones de lo que significa seguir a Jesús en un mundo rápidamente cambiante.

Por nueve meses, las nueve perso-nas en el grupo de enfoque hablar-on detalladamente sobre lo que significa ser una catedral en una ciudad capital y ser un buen vecino en el centro de la ciudad. Hablaron, escucharon, oraron. Unieron sus determinaciones y las moldearon en enunciados de propósito, visión y estrategia, que presentaron a la junta parroquial en abril de 2013. ¿El resultado? La adopción de un documento de propósito, visión y estrategia que invita a toda la feligresía a compartir la respon-sabilidad de “invitar, empoderar y apoyar a una comunidad creativa, ágil y diversa de buscadores que expanden y nutren nuestra vibran-te vida de discipulado”. También vuelve a comprometer a la iglesia a “recuperar/continuar/expandir” su papel histórico de buena vecina en el centro de Montpelier.

En lugar de ser el final del proceso, la adopción de este documento reforzó y expandió la práctica de la feligresía de crear equipo de

Recuperar /Continuar/ExpandirBY NANCY DAVIDGE


ministerio flexibles para diri-girse a inquietudes o problemas específicos. Siguiendo un mod-elo estimulado por la diócesis, estos ‘centros de creatividad’ unen a entre tres y cinco miem-bros de la feligresía para que oren, conversen y recomienden acción a la junta parroquial. Los grupos recurren al documento de propósito, visión y estrategia para obtener orientación y direc-ción.

Puesta a prueba del proceso

En el otoño de 2012, se invitó a Christ Church, junto con otros organismos de los gobiernos estatal y municipal, así como a empresas y organizaciones de Montpelier, a que consideraran ser parte del distrito de fuentes alternativas de calefacción de la ciudad. La participación costaba US$80,000.

La junta parroquial llamó a un centro para grupos pro cre-atividad para que consideraran esa opción e hicieran una reco-mendación. Recurriendo a su documento de propósito, visión y estrategia, el grupo exploró y luchó con esta oportunidad, sopesando el compromiso de la feligresía hacia la mayordomía de la creación de Dios y hacia la comunidad de Montpelier, así como la crítica necesidad de dirigirse a los gastos de capital

de US$2 millones necesarios para estabilizar el deterioro del edificio de la iglesia. Su recomen-dación a la junta parroquial: Lo sentimos, será alguna otra vez.

Y después ocurrió lo inesper-ado: Christ Church recibió una donación anónima de $40,000 específicamente para el proyecto de la calefacción. La junta parro-quial se puso en contacto con el grupo Centro Para la Creatividad con esta nueva información y le pidió que reconsiderara.

¿El resultado? El grupo volvió a estudiar su decisión y tras de conversarlo y orar, reconoció que ese donativo permitiría que la iglesia fuera no sólo una buena vecina sino también una buena mayordoma. Recomendaron que la feligresía pasara a ser parte del programa de energía alterna-tiva, empleando el donativo de $40,000 y tomando un préstamo, para financiar su participación. La junta parroquial estuvo de acuerdo.

Una cosa lleva a la otra

El corazón del campus de Christ Church es un jardín abierto del lado de la calle. Es un lugar al que la gente acude a sentarse o a comer su almuerzo en días de semana o simplemente para dis-frutar la serie de conciertos de verano Brown Bag de la iglesia

u otros eventos al aire libre. Al igual que el resto del campus, necesitaba reparaciones.

Excavar el jardín para poner la tubería que conectaría la iglesia a la planta de energía fue, en parte, una consecuencia de la decisión de la iglesia de iniciar la renovación del jardín este verano, en lugar de dejarla ‘para algún día’. Nuevamente hubo donaciones y con el generoso apoyo de muchos

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