These digital workshops are offerings of the Episcopal Parish Network to the church.
They are presented at no-cost, but registration is required.
Category: Small Church Ministry
Power of the Small Church
Tuesday, April 30th at 3:00pm EDT
The death of the small Episcopal Church has long been predicted. We know that urban and suburban parishes are thriving, but our parishes and missions often struggle in rural or exurban communities. While this trope is easy to repeat, it isn’t the whole story. And, importantly, we must recognize that our unique Episcopal witness is critical to these communities just as it is in our biggest urban parish context.
In 2019, Grace Episcopal in Alvin, Texas was withering on the vine; and, yet the remaining faithful congregants sought to bring hospitality while meeting the needs in their community. Knowing this reservoir existed, we determined to undertake the brave work of listening to our community. Creating a blessing box outside Grace was key to this and what this blessing box told us was our neighbors were hungry.
Four years later, and after discernment and work internally and with our community, Grace partners with over twenty organizations and ten local churches to bring a mobile food pantry to the grounds of Grace every week. We’ve given away over two and a half million pounds of food to over 50,000 people in Brazoria County, a food desert and food insecure county in Texas. We have expanded our food ministry which now includes an in-house pantry, a blessing box filled to capacity four times a day, a blessing refrigerator and a microwave warming station for our unhoused population.
Grace is a 50-member church. We knew we couldn’t do it alone. Partnering with other churches has strengthened and helped to sustain this work. Rather than competing, churches, acting as partners, joined together, so that care for our community was enlarged and made stronger. The community of Alvin has been changed by the radical grace, love and hospitality offered by this multi-church and community run food-ministry.
Join our panel to learn more about how this parish secured its ministry and preserved our expression of the gospel in this community.
Panelists include:
- Suzanne Smith – Rector, Grace Episcopal Church; Alvin, Texas
- Ed Carrette – Community Missioner, Grace Episcopal Church; Alvin, Texas
- Susie Credeur – In-House Pantry Manager and shopper, Grace Episcopal Church; Alvin, Texas
- Mindy Robertson – Compassion Ministry Coordinator, The Harbor Church; Friendswood, Texas
- Lela Hoffman – Catholic Daughters of the Americas, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church; Alvin, Texas
Category: Stewardship / Strategy
Effective Mission Outreach Strategy: Structure, Implementation & Evaluation
Wednesday, May 1st at 3:00pm EDT
Parish ministry is centered around sharing the gospel – both in our community and to our community. Over many years, faithful leaders create mission statements and, out of those proclamations, build programs to implement the mission.
How does one know that these mission statements are compelling and that outreach efforts created based on these mission statements are accomplishing the goal of sharing the gospel in the context of our unique Episcopal witness? During this workshop, our experts will answer these questions among others:
- Is your parish’s outreach structured to fulfill your parish’s call to mission?
- Whether your parish provides resources (volunteers, building space, leadership) or makes financial contributions to others ministry, is your process transparent?
- Do your parishioners understand your mission and outreach?
- Is your mission and outreach equitable?
Together, the panelists will provide insights and ideas on how to review your parish’s outreach initiatives and ensure your work has the greatest impact. The review will include defining your parish’s outreach objectives and the role of your mission/outreach committee. Our panelists will also suggest an approach through which community partners are identified, and how requests for support from those partners are assessed. Finally, the panel will review the vestry’s role in evaluating program impact – on your parish and your community partners.
Panelists from parishes across the country will provide diverse examples of these ideas in practice.
Panelists include:
- Marshall Ginn – Principal, Capital Philanthropy, Parishioner, Christ Church Georgetown; Washington, District of Columbia
- Phil Hooper – Rector, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church; West Chester, Ohio
- Laura Konitzer – Director of Mission and Outreach, Christ Church; Charlotte, North Carolina
- Additional panelists to be added
Category: Administration / Vestry
Administrative Best Practices
Monday, May 6th at 3:00pm EDT
Parish administration is a broad category that covers duties including facilities management, ministry coordination, staff leadership, and, often, the odd job like replacing an light bulb or fine tuning a spreadsheet for a vestry meeting. This ‘jack of all trades’ work is compelling and important – without our parish administrators (regardless of title), our churches wouldn’t function. Often the importance of the administrator is overlooked by lay and clergy as they appreciate the glorious worship, community creation and cultivation, and important outreach that effective administration enables.
So… how do we support our administrators and give them tools and training to do these most important jobs. Episcopal Parish Network is committed to supporting parish administrators through our Parish Administrator cohort that meets monthly (learn more about this group by sending an e-mail to info@episcopalparishes.org). At the same time, there is a broader conversation on the role of administrators and their responsibilities / opportunities to support the work of sustaining our unique Episcopal witness.
Join this panel discussion with EPN partner Smart Church Solutions to cover some of the parish administration and parish administrator fundamentals. Their experts with deep experience in this area will join Jim Lamm, parish administrator at St. David’s Austin for a conversation on:
- Understanding Why
- Cultivating the Heart of Administration
- Communication Strategies
- Championing Vision & Adapting Practices
Whether an administrator, clergy leader, or lay leader, you will leave this workshop with a better understanding of the importance of the parish administrator role and how we can support these individuals in their ministry calling.
Panelists include:
- Kim Simmons – Customer Stewardship Specialist, Smart Church Solutions; Charlotte, North Carolina
- Todd Gross – Customer Stewardship Specialist, Smart Church Solutions; Charlotte, North Carolina
- Jim Lamm – Parish Administrator, St. David’s Church; Austin, Texas
