Clergy and laity of congregations seeking rejuvenation and vision will gather in Santa Fe, New Mexico for a Start Up! Start Over! seminar November 14-18.
Start Up! Start Over! is a national training event for clergy and laity that provides basic congregational development theory and skills for congregations in decline and seeking a new direction, have hit a growth plateau and need new energy, or are thriving and ready for their next step.
The Rev. Charles N. Fulton III, director of Congregational Development and president of the Episcopal Church Building Fund will lead a seminar staff of experienced practitioners of church growth who have started new churches and led congregational turn-arounds.
Seminar participants will learn practical, goal oriented skills to help them rediscover the optimistic, mission oriented spirit that marks healthy thriving congregations.
Agenda topics include:
The basic principles of congregational development and church life cycle
Interpreting your congregational demographics to program towards growth
Decision making and meeting management skills
Marketing & conducting a campaign to invite new members
Planning church space that is within your budget, appropriate for your future
New member incorporation - how visitors become involved members of a congregation
Leading in changing times
The use of multi-media in congregation life and worship
Making your site and buildings inviting to the visitor
Understanding generational differences and reaching the un-churched members of the electronic culture
The cost which includes tuition, housing, and 10 meals is: $750 single, $625 double, $380 commuter. Call 800.334.7626 ext. 6003 or email buildchurch@ecbf.org to register. Registration materials can also be downloaded from http://www.episcopalchurch.org/congdev/
(Note: This seminar regularly fills to capacity months before the registration deadline. Call to verify availability.)
Start Up! Start Over! is sponsored by the Office of Congregational Development and coordinated in partnership with the Episcopal Church Building Fund.
Note: The following titles are available from the Episcopal Book/Resource Center, 815 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017; 800.334.7626; http://www.episcopalbookstore.org/
To read: http://www.congregationalresources.org/: A Guide to Resources for Building Congregational Vitality by Richard Bass, (The Alban Institute, Herndon, Virgina 2005, 250 pages, $18.00)
From the publisher: As a companion to the groundbreaking Congregational Resource Guide, an online resource produced by the Alban Institute and the Indianapolis Center for Congregations, this book is an invaluable resource for congregational leaders. It puts the rich array of important congregational resources into context by examining the key books, organizations, Web sites, and people that will help leaders gain an understanding of important issues facing their faith communities.
Richard Bass is director of publishing at the Alban Institute. He was formerly the project director of the Congregational Resource Guide.
From the publisher: An inspiring and relevant account of one churchs journey from individual spirituality to public theology to faith in practice. The struggles faced by Most Holy Name Parish are balanced by powerful stories of hope in the face of intense poverty and corrupt politics.
Joseph Nangle, O.F.M., is a Franciscan priest who serves as co-director of the Franciscan Mission Service, Washington, D.C. He is the co-author of St. Francis and the Foolishness of God and Say to This Mountain.
