CONGREGATIONAL RENEWAL & CARE

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. (MSG) Romans 12:11-13

While it is important at all times for parish leaders to see to a congregation’s health and well-being, it is also true that there are seasons in the life of a parish when more intentional care may be needed. Your diocesan staff has developed a variety of tools and processes intended to assist and equip parish leaders in doing the work God is calling them to do that can be tailored to the specific needs and mission objectives of a congregation.

Vestry Retreats

Accepting a call to vestry is challenging. Balancing the ministry of the church with parish management can be even more so. And finding ways to incorporate new members, missions, and celebrations takes particular skill. Vestry retreats provide an opportunity for church leaders to recharge, reconnect, and learn new skills. Whether they last a day or a weekend, they are wonderful tools for celebration and recalibration. Contact the Rev. Dr. Robert Phillips, Canon for Leadership Development and Congregational Care, to explore what might be helpful for your parish.

Strategic Ministry Review

Parishes are led by a combination of clergy and lay leaders. Those people work together, in specific eras and with specific goals to support the mission of God. Through a Strategic Ministry Review, leadership teams can assess their effectiveness–both with one another in internal operations and with their communities to serve Christ–and can improve their collaboration. Geared to support the daily life of a parish, Strategic Ministry Review can take many forms. Learn More

Parish Assessments

We rely on the Holy Spirit, but God gives us data, too. Whether parish leaders want to explore where their parish fits on the congregational life-cycle, what preponderance of gifts their congregants have, how people feel about the Sunday experience, or what programs parishioners believe could be more vital, gathering data from the congregation about itself can be critical. Contact the Rev. Dr. Robert Phillips, Canon for Leadership Development and Congregational Care, to share your vision or challenge and see if a parish assessment could help.

Clergy Transition

Clergy move on. Congregants mourn. New leaders are called. The process of leadership transition has many steps and engenders many emotions. Transition provides an opportunity for enormous growth–but it also causes some predictable challenges, so the diocese uses a well-defined transition process and requires each transitioning parish to have a consultant guide them through. Learn More

Visions of Healing Curriculum for Congregational Care

The Visions of Healing Curriculum for Congregational Care offers three experiential safe-space retreats that enable participants to explore personalized brokenness in ways that will provide both individual and congregational healing through the development of healthy relationships with God, others, and self. To explore whether Visions of Healing would be useful for your parish context, contact the Rev. Dr. Robert Phillips, Canon for Leadership Development and Congregational Care.

Diocesan Retreat Committee and Retreat Centers

Retreats are an opportunity to dwell in a “place apart” from daily life and work, an intentional period of time to slow down and reflect. Learn More

Other Support

Parishes are complicated, and each is unique. Our consultant pool can tackle a variety of training topics, group dynamics issues, and parish life scenarios. Contact the Rev. Dr. Robert Phillips, Canon for Leadership Development and Congregational Care.