Workshops at the 140th Convention
Each workshop at our 140th Convention sparked questions and conversations, as participants explored small church leadership, discipleship, digital ministry, and care of creation. Below you will find a brief synopsis of and materials from each workshop. We thank these ministries for their work and for conducting these workshops!
“Forward Together: Fostering Collaboration for Ministry Among Smaller Parishes?” led by Tommy Drake (Consultant for Small Church Leadership)
Tommy Drake centered this workshop by focusing on congregational health and healthy practices for smaller congregations and formed connections with attendees. Participants considered questions like, “How do we measure success?”, recognizing that church vitality is contextual: there is no one-size-fits-most definition of church vitality. Blessings of small churches were also explored, like their being capable of adapting quickly; their sense of mission; their relational strengths; and their living in hope and anticipation. Participants spent time sharing success stories and visioning together the work God is doing in their contexts and were invited to stay in touch to continue this small church journey together. Reach out to Tommy Drake if you have questions or would like to connect on the Small Church Leadership project.
“Discipleship by Design” led by Mrs. Emily Gowdy Canady (Missioner for Lifelong Christian Formation)
This interactive workshop offered a dynamic and engaging atmosphere for participants to connect with one another and their congregation’s work with Lifelong Christian Formation and the forming of disciples. Among the activities offered within the workshop included icebreakers, a four-corners exercise (moving to the 4 corners of the room in response to questions), a formation activity from Illustrated Ministry (you can find the activity here), and a parking lot party (question and answer time). You can find the slides from this workshop below, and here you will find the resource on intergenerational formation.
“Digital Ministry is Here to Stay” led by The Rev’d Thomas Warren (Rector, St. Mary’s, Kinston)
In this workshop, participants were invited to imagine the possibilities inherent in digital ministry and the ways in which they can connect within and outside their church community through digital means. Theological considerations for how digital ministry has missional roots and operates as a means of living out our baptismal covenant to share the Good News. Rev. Tom Warren shared a wealth of resources and ideas for ways to engage in digital ministry, and the handout below is a “living document” for resource sharing that you are invited to contribute to.
“Care of Creation with the Sound to Sea Program” led by Mindy Furrer (Education Director at Trinity Camp and Conference Center)
Framed by an examination/contemplation of our Episcopal vision for creation care: “As a whole church, we have promised to place the care of God’s Creation at the heart of our common life. Together, we have taken up church-wide action in order to safeguard the integrity of Creation and to sustain and renew the life of the Earth.” Participants enjoyed learning more about Trinity Center’s incredible environmental education program Sound to Sea and ways to live out creation care in daily habits. Attendees created circles of storytelling as a means of establishing care of creation practices into their lives, dedicated to the care and protection of the whole Creation, by concentrating on a little piece of creation: Trinity Center. Please enjoy learning more about Sound to Sea and the fantastic work they do with the slides shared below.
