in Vestry Papers and filtered by Buildings and Grounds, Hospitality
By Dustin Seo
How many times has your faith community thought about what it can do to bring and keep young people at church? In Worship as an Invitation to Belong, Dustin Seo describes his journey into the Episcopal Church as an active participant who knows he belongs, the role that music played on that path and how worship is something we all actively create, not something we passively consume.
By Jon Davis
What is our modern day understanding of the mission of the church? In The Third Place, Jon Davis tells us about spaces where people gather outside of home and work, to witness and experience redemption, reconciliation and repentance, making these sacred communal places also ‘thin places’, where the Holy Spirit can be felt working in and through us.
By Diana Wheeler
In Vocation in an Unsafe World, Diana Wheeler tells us about the Companions of Dorothy the Worker, an ecumenical Christian community that brings radical hospitality to the queer community, modeling Christ’s unfailing and constant love to the most marginalized among us. This article is available in English and Spanish.
By Janet Waggoner
How do congregations who lose their buildings and possessions refocus on what truly makes “church”? In Church Without Walls, Janet Waggoner shares the story of the Episcopal Church in North Texas, where its people have not just continued doing God’s work in the face of material loss, but have poured even more into their communities, never failing in love and faithfulness.
By Beth Wyndham
What does it mean to be centered in joy? Are you searching for a way to engage your church leadership in reflection on their joy and gratitude as a community? In her vlog, A Pandemic Church Plant Inspires Joy, Beth Wyndham invites us to consider where the Holy Spirit may be calling our faith communities to seek joy.
By Brian Sellers-Petersen
What can you do with land? Turns out, the sky is the limit! In Stewardship and Land, Brian Sellers-Peterson shares his view of our greatest common asset – land, and provides numerous examples of active ministries that take advantage of this often underutilized gift.
By Steve Follos
Extension ministries are great way to use church property effectively – engaging with the community to fill a real need, while also supplementing the church’s income. But are there any risks to consider? In Extension Ministries and Risk, Steve Follos describes ways to mitigate risk and protect your church in these situations.
By Sandra Montes
Este año decidí visitar una iglesia diferente cada domingo y bloguear sobre mis experiencias. Ese esfuerzo duró unos tres meses hasta que, como ocurre a menudo, la vida intervino. Durante ese tiempo aprendí mucho sobre lo que pueden hacer las iglesias para ser acogedoras, amorosas, liberadoras y vivificantes.
By David Rice and Anna Carmichael
What does it look like when a diocese decides to take hospitality seriously? In Taking Church out Into the Community, Bishop David Rice and Anna Carmichael share their experience of focusing on community, outreach and welcome and what it means to begin to see the face of Jesus in “the other.”
By Sandra Montes
What makes a church welcoming to a first-time visitor? In Ten Signs of a Welcoming Congregation, Sandra Montes provides ideas from her travels to various churches across the country, listing qualities she found to be common in parishes that make visitors feel at home and truly welcome. This article is available in English and Spanish.
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