“Entrepreneurial” and “elevator pitches”… when language gets in the way

By: The Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers, Staff Officer for Church Planting This week we hosted the first New Episcopal Communities Activator course – a 4 day training designed to equip church planters with the basics of developing a missional mindset, building a core team, and developing their ministry plan and budget.  For the last couple […]

What do we really long for?

By: The Rev. Tom Brackett, Manager for Church Planting and Mission Development Over the last 13 years in this position, I have frequently been asked, “What are the factors that lead to the successful redevelopment of a dying congregation?” Some of those asking can remember when there was a buzz of excitement about partnering with […]

What are you willing to do… anyway?

By: The Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers, Staff Officer for Church Planting “What are you willing to do… anyway?” “What are you willing to pursue, even when success isn’t guaranteed?” Some form of these questions has emerged in just about every conversation I’ve had this week.  What compels me to offer myself to the church, even […]

Ten new ministries blessed with church-wide partnership and funding

During the October meeting of the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council, the Joint Standing Committee on Local Ministry and Mission prayerfully granted the funds needed to start two new churches, four ministries that are “hybrid” starts and three new “mission enterprise zones.” The committee also awarded 2 discernment grants – funds to assist dioceses in the […]

Video: Prayer of Encouragement

Celebrating another new ministry!

We are inspired by the new ministry called Table 229 – supported by the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. Jennifer McNally originally started this as a “mission enterprise zone” for those who weren’t necessarily going to attend a traditional church service – people who would identify as spiritual but not religious. Since then, she and her […]

BECAS 2016 DISPONIBLES AHORA

Dos categorías de becas estarán disponibles en una base continua a partir del 1 de abril del 2016. Las solicitudes para esta ronda de becas tienen que entregarse a más tardar el 1 de junio. Las solicitudes recibidas después de esta fecha se considerarán en el otoño. El promedio de las becas son $20.000 para […]

2016 Grants Now Available

For Church Starts and Mission Enterprise Zones

Southside Abbey

My conversation with the "Standing Commission on the Structure of the Church"

My conversation with the "Standing Commission on the Structure of the Church" reminded me of this beautiful quote from Tim Brown's "Change by Design"   It’s no accident that designers in recent years have been following the emerging science of biomimicry—the idea that nature, with its 4.5 billion-year learning curve, may have something to teach […]