Thursday Afternoon Workshops
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Safe and Welcome at the Same Time | Safety is of major importance in church communities and at the same time, welcoming people into our sacred spaces is very necessary. So how do the two co-exist? What are the steps in developing a safety plan for your congregation? How do these plans reflect the culture of your church? | The Rev. Kathy Walker, Jeanie Garrett, and James Shepherd | Administration Track |
Restoring and Designing Space in Historic Churches to Serve and Welcome | Architects and designers can help a parish visualize how its buildings can adapt to meet new opportunities to house and support ministry and outreach, while respecting their historic character. Partners for Sacred Places will present its approach to working with parish leaders, civic leaders and the design community to plan and carry out a design charrette that can help the church, and its community partners, imagine how unused and underused spaces can take on new and improved functions to make the most of the building as an asset for church mission. | Bob Jaeger and Joshua Castaño | Building & Building Use Track |
Lambeth 2020 | Since 1867, the Lambeth Conference—the gathering of bishops from throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion every ten years or so at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury—has served as a powerful witness of unity in Christ in the midst of diversity and differing contexts. Join our panel of presenters from The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion to listen to firsthand stories of the last Lambeth Conference as well as the rich historical tapestry of previous Conferences. And learn more about how Lambeth 2020 will build on our Anglican heritage while addressing the challenges of today. | The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde, The Rev. Canon Charles Robertson, The Rev. Dr. Robert Heaney, and The Most Rev. Julio Murray | Changing Church: Global Track |
Living Our Faith Outside the Box | Julia Whitworth and Leigh Ann Hirschman (Trinity Haven in Indianapolis) and Hal Cato (Thistle Farms in Nashville) will guide us in an exploration of the ways we respond to the timeless call to do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with God. Julia will share how her parish discerned it’s call to begin Indiana's first residence for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. Hal will share what he's learned through his work with Thistle Farms. The goal of this workshop is to help us discern where God is calling us to work in our own communities. | The Rev. Julia Whitworth, Hal Cato, and Leigh Ann Hirschman | Changing Church: Local Track |
Audit and Editorial Calendars: Communicating Strategically | One of the biggest mistakes a church can make is communicating only to its parishioners. The purpose of this workshop is to collaborate on how best to speak to a society that is less and less churched, while continuing to raise up the community that already fills the pews. What traditions are pivotal to the success of church communications, and what hard decisions do we have to make to communicate to those that most need to hear the good news? We will explore real life processes for communications audits and editorial calendars, but from the perspective of what is next for church communications. Bring your ideas, questions, laments, and stories! | Jason Franklin | Communications Track |
Being the Brand: Theology and Church Communications | From weekly bulletins to crisis PR situations, church communicators translate the good news of Jesus Christ into the dialects of culture. Whether we intend it to or not, our message carries theological content—and it’s up to communicators and clergy alike to make sure that what we share with the world lives up to our church’s vision of God’s abundant grace. This workshop will focus on bringing together theological principles and creative problem-solving. Using real-world scenarios of theologically dense or difficult, we’ll discuss and practice the art of practical theologizing—telling our church’s stories in a way that brings the Gospel vibrantly into the world. Whether you’re a professional church communicator or a lay leader or priest interested in sharing your church’s message more effectively, join us for a hands-on and fast-moving conversation! | Mary Davenport Davis | Communications Track |
Endowment Management 101 | Join us for everything endowment! We’ll discuss defining, structuring, and implementing best practices. Gain knowledge and learn how to best communicate about your endowment to your parish. We discuss trends in endowment governance, offer an intentional endowment road map, and explore case studies in investment risk management. Presenters will include Episcopal endowment experts and trustees, 1919 Investment Counsel, Episcopal Church Foundation and CEEP Network member parishes. | Ernest Petrey, Deirdre McElroy, John Reilly (19/19), and Jim Murphy (ECF) | Endowment Track |
Individual Finance during Economic Uncertainty | With headlines suggesting the country is heading into rough economic waters, we all have to think about how to adjust our approach to managing our money. This group of experts and finance leaders will share their ideas on how we can take steps to secure our financial positions and make it through economic hiccups and upheavals. Join this facilitated conversation as we think about the ‘what if’ scenarios we will all face in the next few years. | Kathy Floyd (CPG), Michael Strauss (BOA), Kevin Callahan (Zevin), and Rebecca Whites | Finance Track |
Prayers of the People - Let's Get Real | How can we make our timeless and beautiful liturgy honest and timely when so many of our prayers were written for another time or place? In a world that values truth and authenticity, we Episcopalians have to get real. But we don't have to rewrite the entire liturgy. The Prayers of the People in the Eucharist not only allow but even expect congregations to articulate the troubles and needs of the modern world, not in despair but in hope, and with a commitment to continue Jesus’ mission of reconciliation and healing. Come learn about the Prayers of the People and how to go beyond the pre-written forms in the BCP. Led by the Reverend Canon Patrick Malloy, a leading liturgical scholar and practitioner, this workshop will include video of a community where the Prayers are written weekly to reflect real-world needs, and will engage workshop participants in writing the Prayers of the People that will be used in the CEEP Eucharist. | The Rev. Canon Patrick Malloy, PhD | Liturgy & Music Track |
Congregations: Best Practices in Search and Call | Be a part of an interactive environment where we explore best practices in search and call processes for congregations. Learn about how to most effectively present your parish, best interviewing techniques, and more. There will be plenty of time for your questions. Your workshop facilitators have hundreds of hours of experience in this area. | The Rev. Meghan Froehlich and Judy Stark | Search & Transition Track |
Embracing Evangelism | This workshop will introduce the new 6-part video series from The Episcopal Church entitled Embracing Evangelism: How to Seek, Name, & Celebrate the Good News of God in Christ and Invite Everyone to More. The series includes teaching from Evangelism leaders in the church, and exercises and reflections from Evangelism Catalyst, that will help participants reclaim the spiritual practice of Evangelism through the lens of our Episcopal tradition. This series is a free resource and can be used by groups of two or more, for Adult Forums, Parish Retreats, or as an online learning experience. | Jerusalem Greer | Spiritual Formation Track |
In the Footsteps of Muhlenberg: Church-Related Schools for Today | The 19th century clergyman and educator William Augustus Muhlenberg is widely considered to be the "father of Episcopal church schools." Over 100 years later, hundreds of Episcopal churches and dioceses live in relationship to a school. Join us to explore three very different ways that a parish or diocese incorporate a school into their mission to serve the wider world. Our panel will be jumping-off point for participants to explore the many dimensions of school ministry in a church context. Panelists: The Rev. Bruce Freeman, Rector, The Episcopal Church of St. Matthew St. Matthew's Episcopal Parish Day School, Pacific Palisades CA The Rev. David Peck. Saint James Episcopal Church, Lancaster PA Head Start at Saint James James Woody, Executive Director, The Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys, Washington DC | Facilitator: Ann Mellow, Associate Director, National Association of Episcopal Schools, New York NY | Spiritual Formation Track |
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Closed Special Session for Stewardship for Professionals and Stewardship for All Smart Starts Tracks | Hundreds of new people enter the church stewardship arena every year as volunteers or part or full-time staff wearing more than one hat, and they all face a learning curve. The way to shortcut that curve is to figure out the best skills needed to get to the job done, and the best places for resources to help you work smarter and not harder. Without a solid understanding of fundraising principles and ethics, it’s easy to struggle or get in trouble. Come learn from the Stewardship Pros about ‘what they wish they had known’ when they started out, what skills are needed to make your journey as a fundraiser in your parish successful, and some of the ‘best go-to’ places for templates, tips, and guidance as you navigate the often-times unwanted role of stewardship and fundraising in your parish. Panelists from both tracks will speak to the entire group about their respective challenges as professionals and as volunteers/part-time/new fundraisers in the field, and offer up their best tips and resources, with some time for open Q&A with the panelists. Stewardship for All participants will have the opportunity to sign up for a Stewardship Pro mentor for a one year relationship. Note: this is a special closed session open only to those who signed up for the Stewardship for Professionals and Stewardship for All Smart Starts. | Libby Roberts | Stewardship Track |
Stewardship for Clergy | Fundraising is a ministry to inspire generosity. Come to our panel discussion and hear from three clergy how they have faithfully ministered with generous congregations for successful stewardship campaigns, within their own contexts and understanding of the theology of stewardship. | The Rev. Canon Dana Colley Corsello, The Rev. Doyt L. Conn, Jr., The Rev. Allan Johnson-Taylor, and The Rev. Chris Harris | Stewardship Track |
The Church’s Future: Strategic Questions for Ministry | The sky isn’t falling but the ground is shifting - and the Church is changing. How do we prepare for the future when we may not be sure where we are, where we’re going, or how to get there? Join our subject matter experts for a conversation about questions we should be asking in our parish communities. | The Rev. Nathan Kirkpatrick and Mark Meyer | Strategic Planning Track |
Track
Description:
Location:
Safe and Welcome at the Same Time
Administration Track
Description: Safety is of major importance in church communities and at the same time, welcoming people into our sacred spaces is very necessary. So how do the two co-exist? What are the steps in developing a safety plan for your congregation? How do these plans reflect the culture of your church?
The Rev. Kathy Walker, Jeanie Garrett, and James Shepherd
Location:
Restoring and Designing Space in Historic Churches to Serve and Welcome
Building & Building Use Track
Description: Architects and designers can help a parish visualize how its buildings can adapt to meet new opportunities to house and support ministry and outreach, while respecting their historic character. Partners for Sacred Places will present its approach to working with parish leaders, civic leaders and the design community to plan and carry out a design charrette that can help the church, and its community partners, imagine how unused and underused spaces can take on new and improved functions to make the most of the building as an asset for church mission.
Bob Jaeger and Joshua Castaño
Location:
Lambeth 2020
Changing Church: Global Track
Description: Since 1867, the Lambeth Conference—the gathering of bishops from throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion every ten years or so at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury—has served as a powerful witness of unity in Christ in the midst of diversity and differing contexts. Join our panel of presenters from The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion to listen to firsthand stories of the last Lambeth Conference as well as the rich historical tapestry of previous Conferences. And learn more about how Lambeth 2020 will build on our Anglican heritage while addressing the challenges of today.
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde, The Rev. Canon Charles Robertson, The Rev. Dr. Robert Heaney, and The Most Rev. Julio Murray
Location:
Living Our Faith Outside the Box
Changing Church: Local Track
Description: Julia Whitworth and Leigh Ann Hirschman (Trinity Haven in Indianapolis) and Hal Cato (Thistle Farms in Nashville) will guide us in an exploration of the ways we respond to the timeless call to do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with God. Julia will share how her parish discerned it’s call to begin Indiana's first residence for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. Hal will share what he's learned through his work with Thistle Farms. The goal of this workshop is to help us discern where God is calling us to work in our own communities.
The Rev. Julia Whitworth, Hal Cato, and Leigh Ann Hirschman
Location:
Audit and Editorial Calendars: Communicating Strategically
Communications Track
Description: One of the biggest mistakes a church can make is communicating only to its parishioners. The purpose of this workshop is to collaborate on how best to speak to a society that is less and less churched, while continuing to raise up the community that already fills the pews. What traditions are pivotal to the success of church communications, and what hard decisions do we have to make to communicate to those that most need to hear the good news? We will explore real life processes for communications audits and editorial calendars, but from the perspective of what is next for church communications. Bring your ideas, questions, laments, and stories!
Jason Franklin
Location:
Being the Brand: Theology and Church Communications
Communications Track
Description: From weekly bulletins to crisis PR situations, church communicators translate the good news of Jesus Christ into the dialects of culture. Whether we intend it to or not, our message carries theological content—and it’s up to communicators and clergy alike to make sure that what we share with the world lives up to our church’s vision of God’s abundant grace. This workshop will focus on bringing together theological principles and creative problem-solving. Using real-world scenarios of theologically dense or difficult, we’ll discuss and practice the art of practical theologizing—telling our church’s stories in a way that brings the Gospel vibrantly into the world. Whether you’re a professional church communicator or a lay leader or priest interested in sharing your church’s message more effectively, join us for a hands-on and fast-moving conversation!
Mary Davenport Davis
Location:
Endowment Management 101
Endowment Track
Description: Join us for everything endowment! We’ll discuss defining, structuring, and implementing best practices. Gain knowledge and learn how to best communicate about your endowment to your parish. We discuss trends in endowment governance, offer an intentional endowment road map, and explore case studies in investment risk management. Presenters will include Episcopal endowment experts and trustees, 1919 Investment Counsel, Episcopal Church Foundation and CEEP Network member parishes.
Ernest Petrey, Deirdre McElroy, John Reilly (19/19), and Jim Murphy (ECF)
Location:
Individual Finance during Economic Uncertainty
Finance Track
Description: With headlines suggesting the country is heading into rough economic waters, we all have to think about how to adjust our approach to managing our money. This group of experts and finance leaders will share their ideas on how we can take steps to secure our financial positions and make it through economic hiccups and upheavals. Join this facilitated conversation as we think about the ‘what if’ scenarios we will all face in the next few years.
Kathy Floyd (CPG), Michael Strauss (BOA), Kevin Callahan (Zevin), and Rebecca Whites
Location:
Prayers of the People - Let's Get Real
Liturgy & Music Track
Description: How can we make our timeless and beautiful liturgy honest and timely when so many of our prayers were written for another time or place? In a world that values truth and authenticity, we Episcopalians have to get real. But we don't have to rewrite the entire liturgy. The Prayers of the People in the Eucharist not only allow but even expect congregations to articulate the troubles and needs of the modern world, not in despair but in hope, and with a commitment to continue Jesus’ mission of reconciliation and healing. Come learn about the Prayers of the People and how to go beyond the pre-written forms in the BCP. Led by the Reverend Canon Patrick Malloy, a leading liturgical scholar and practitioner, this workshop will include video of a community where the Prayers are written weekly to reflect real-world needs, and will engage workshop participants in writing the Prayers of the People that will be used in the CEEP Eucharist.
The Rev. Canon Patrick Malloy, PhD
Location:
Congregations: Best Practices in Search and Call
Search & Transition Track
Description: Be a part of an interactive environment where we explore best practices in search and call processes for congregations. Learn about how to most effectively present your parish, best interviewing techniques, and more. There will be plenty of time for your questions. Your workshop facilitators have hundreds of hours of experience in this area.
The Rev. Meghan Froehlich and Judy Stark
Location:
Embracing Evangelism
Spiritual Formation Track
Description: This workshop will introduce the new 6-part video series from The Episcopal Church entitled Embracing Evangelism: How to Seek, Name, & Celebrate the Good News of God in Christ and Invite Everyone to More. The series includes teaching from Evangelism leaders in the church, and exercises and reflections from Evangelism Catalyst, that will help participants reclaim the spiritual practice of Evangelism through the lens of our Episcopal tradition. This series is a free resource and can be used by groups of two or more, for Adult Forums, Parish Retreats, or as an online learning experience.
Jerusalem Greer
Location:
In the Footsteps of Muhlenberg: Church-Related Schools for Today
Spiritual Formation Track
Description: The 19th century clergyman and educator William Augustus Muhlenberg is widely considered to be the "father of Episcopal church schools." Over 100 years later, hundreds of Episcopal churches and dioceses live in relationship to a school. Join us to explore three very different ways that a parish or diocese incorporate a school into their mission to serve the wider world. Our panel will be jumping-off point for participants to explore the many dimensions of school ministry in a church context.
Panelists:
The Rev. Bruce Freeman, Rector, The Episcopal Church of St. Matthew
St. Matthew's Episcopal Parish Day School, Pacific Palisades CA
The Rev. David Peck. Saint James Episcopal Church, Lancaster PA
Head Start at Saint James
James Woody, Executive Director, The Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys, Washington DC
Facilitator: Ann Mellow, Associate Director, National Association of Episcopal Schools, New York NY
Location:
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Closed Special Session for Stewardship for Professionals and Stewardship for All Smart Starts Tracks
Stewardship Track
Description: Hundreds of new people enter the church stewardship arena every year as volunteers or part or full-time staff wearing more than one hat, and they all face a learning curve. The way to shortcut that curve is to figure out the best skills needed to get to the job done, and the best places for resources to help you work smarter and not harder. Without a solid understanding of fundraising principles and ethics, it’s easy to struggle or get in trouble. Come learn from the Stewardship Pros about ‘what they wish they had known’ when they started out, what skills are needed to make your journey as a fundraiser in your parish successful, and some of the ‘best go-to’ places for templates, tips, and guidance as you navigate the often-times unwanted role of stewardship and fundraising in your parish. Panelists from both tracks will speak to the entire group about their respective challenges as professionals and as volunteers/part-time/new fundraisers in the field, and offer up their best tips and resources, with some time for open Q&A with the panelists. Stewardship for All participants will have the opportunity to sign up for a Stewardship Pro mentor for a one year relationship. Note: this is a special closed session open only to those who signed up for the Stewardship for Professionals and Stewardship for All Smart Starts.
Libby Roberts
Location:
Stewardship for Clergy
Stewardship Track
Description: Fundraising is a ministry to inspire generosity. Come to our panel discussion and hear from three clergy how they have faithfully ministered with generous congregations for successful stewardship campaigns, within their own contexts and understanding of the theology of stewardship.
The Rev. Canon Dana Colley Corsello, The Rev. Doyt L. Conn, Jr., The Rev. Allan Johnson-Taylor, and The Rev. Chris Harris
Location:
The Church’s Future: Strategic Questions for Ministry
Strategic Planning Track
Description: The sky isn’t falling but the ground is shifting - and the Church is changing. How do we prepare for the future when we may not be sure where we are, where we’re going, or how to get there? Join our subject matter experts for a conversation about questions we should be asking in our parish communities.
The Rev. Nathan Kirkpatrick and Mark Meyer
Location: