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Great... Congregations, Dioceses and Synods
This is an initial list based on model programs in congregations and dioceses around the country.
 
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, San Antonio, TX -
Center for Faith in the Workplace

Our Vision is for every work environment to become a place of spiritual life, where people discover meaning in the fruitfulness of their work and find wholeness in their work relationships.

Our Mission is to serve as a catalyst for identifying and developing faithful workplace practices leading to spiritual life.

Our Strategy for implementing the mission is to bridge the worship place and workplace through integrated programs that include Christian education, small group reflection on spiritual experience, individual and small group spiritual direction, seminars, retreats, written publications, inter-faith dialogue, prayer and worship.

The Rev. John G. Lewis, Director, Center for Faith in the Workplace, San Antonio, TX and Assistant Rector, St. Mark's Church, San Antonio, at the 2004 meeting of the ecumenical Coalition for Ministry in Daily Life was awarded the Carolyn Dickerson Minus Award by Forum for Faith in the Workplace, a not-for-profit organization based in Columbus, Ohio. The award is given to "individuals and groups making outstanding contributions toward helping people connect their faith and their work."
 
     
Diocese of Chicago - Commission on Lay Ministry

Purpose:  To equip, support and affirm the laity in their ministries in daily life as they seek to live out their baptismal covenant in the areas of family, community, work and church.

Contacts:  Rosemary Gooden, Chair, (773) 769-4543, rdgooden@earthlink.net

Diocese of Minnesota - Lay Discernment Task Force

The Task Force was formed under the leadership of Bishop James Jelinek to study and make recommendations regarding the ministry of lay persons in their various callings in the world. The Bishop wanted to develop a model to help people define and utilize their God-given skills, talents and gifts beyond the institutional church in their daily work in the world. He asked the Task Force to develop resources to be used in congregations to assist people in discerning God's will for their lives relative to family, church, god, jobs and community.

A questionnaire was developed to test the need for lay discernment programs and survey results from two congregations surveyed in 2002 overwhelming confirmed the need for such programs. Task Force surveyed the field of available programs for lay discernment and chose five programs which have been recommended to the Diocese:

On Balance and Simplicity - about living a balanced life style
Lifework Stategies - focuses on career/life development to people in all stages of life.
LifeKeys - a spiritually based program to help people find meaning and purpose in their lives.
With Gladness and Singleness of Heart - about spiritual growth and outreach

Diocese of Virginia - Diocesan Commission on Lay Ministry

The purpose of this commission is to inform and educate people in the Diocese in a way that equips and enables them to live into their baptismal covenant and own ministry in their daily lives.

Chair: The Rev. Margaret Faeth, Immanuel-on-the-Hill, Alexandria
Staff Liaison: Linsday Ryland, lryland@thediocese.net
 
   

The editors of this web site would like to hear from you about Episcopal and ELCA congregations that are actively engaged in preaching and teaching about and otherwise supporting their members' ministry in daily life. If you are a member of such a congregation, please send us an email describing the specific programs available and if there is a related web site. We'd like congregations engaged in this type of ministry to be able to network with one another for ideas and support..